


Dragon Scales and Raven Feathers

by SoTellMeAboutYourself



Category: Maleficent (2014)
Genre: Complete, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dragons, F/M, Fanart, Fantasy/Romance, Fluff, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 08:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 27,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13543947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoTellMeAboutYourself/pseuds/SoTellMeAboutYourself
Summary: Darcey Sutton is the third ever Legendary, a being chosen to save fae and other magical creatures. Traveling from the future Darcey and her dragon Vala help save the Moors from King Stefan and its ruler's dark mood. In the process, she makes friends with a wingless fairy, a cursed princess, and develops feelings for a certain raven.





	1. Unveiling of the Legendary

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review!

          The crystals had only shined twice. The last time their ethereal lights gleamed had been hundreds of years ago when Calem had just become Keeper of Draconis Hold. So he was shocked to discover the lights creeping slowly towards the Seering Pool for the second time in his lifetime. Alerted by their appearance, Calem summoned dragons from around the Earth to Draconis Hold for the unveiling of the new Legendary.

          Vala was amongst the last of the dragons to arrive and silently took her place amongst her peers, standing near the edge of the Seering Pool. The carven was filled with clamor about what was to happen. It was some dragons first time at the Seering Pool, they were the ones who spoke with such excitement in their voice. Yet for the majority, this was the second time they've been part of an Unveiling Ceremony. Vala was just a young hatching, having just learned to fly when she experienced her first viewing, a rare spectacle she's remembered forever.

          "How lucky I am to be experiencing it for a second time," she thought to herself. The chatter died out as Calem let out a roar for attention. Vala's sapphire eyes gazed upon the Hold's Keepers, waiting for him to speak.

          "My fellow companions, as you have already assumed, I have called all of you here to the Seering Pool for the third ever Unveiling of a Legendary," Calem spoke in his gruff aged voice. "I know some of you are as equally surprised as I am to be present for this rare occurrence for a second time." Murmurs of agreement sounded in whispers which were followed by gasps as the lights reached the Seering Pool's water, illuminating the cavern in a blinding light.

          "Behold the Unveiling of the Legendary!" Calem cried out. As the glowing light dimmed the Seering Pool's clear waters had changed to show a room lined with shelves of books. A young woman entered the scene with an arm full of books. Her hair fell like a waterfall in chocolate brown waves, framing her cream colored face. Signature amethyst irises searched the shelves. A quick small smirk graced her face when she located the spot she was looking for, placing one of the books in her arms on the shelf.

          The instant Vala laid her eyes on the woman she knew who she was, as was tradition with the dragon chosen to accompany the Legendary. "Whoever has been selected as the Legendary's companion please speak up and inform us of this woman," Calem asked.

          "Her name is Darcey Evangeline Sutton," Vala spoke drawing everyone's attention to her. "She is twenty-four years old and is the youngest of three children."

          "She wears such strange clothes," one of the younger dragons commented staring at Darcey in the Seering Pool. The dragons had to agree that her clothing was strange. She did not wear a dress as the ladies of the time did but instead wore a short burgundy tunic and strange blue pantaloons. Instead of a cloak to keep her warm was an opened grey sweater. The only familiar objects she wore were black slippers and a knitted scarf around her neck.

          "She is from the twenty-first century. What she wears is common for her time," Vala informed everyone.

          "How is it possible that she is the new Legendary if she is from the far off future?" an emerald scaled dragoness questioned.

          "You forget that the first ever Legendary came from the past. If Castor was able to come to us from the past than Darcey will be able to come to us as well. She will arrive to our time through one way or another," Calem answered and turned to Vala. "Vala, you have been given the honor of being chosen for the Legendary's companion and teacher. I suggest you be off to meet her wherever she might arrive."

          Vala nodded before flying out of the Seering Pool and out of Draconis Hold, hearing a wave of congratulations and well wishes from her peers. She took off into the horizon, the sun shining warmly on her cerulean scales. Her instincts lead her, taking her to where the new Legendary would arrive…her Legendary.

          "Darcey Evangeline Sutton," Vala muttered to herself.


	2. Predicting My Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          "Darcey Evangeline Sutton!" I cringed as Mrs. Ashmore yelled out my full name, one of the downsides of living in a small town where everybody knows everybody. We might have worked in a library but that didn't stop her from shouting at anyone.

          "Yes, Mrs. Ashmore?" I asked, putting on a fake smile and turning to the sour old woman who unfortunately just so happened to be my boss. As always she had her signature scowl on as her red pointy glasses slid down her equally pointy nose.

          "What are you doing away from the desk?" she demanded.

          "I'm re-shelving the returned books," I answered gesturing towards the few books in my arms that I still had to put back. "Why do I have to be at the desk? I thought Cecilia was covering it."

          "I let Cecilia go because her babysitter canceled on her. I need to head out for the rest of the night so I need you up at the front desk and I also need you to close," Mrs. Ashmore told me.

          I stared at her flabbergasted, dropping the fake smile. "You're leaving me here by myself? But we're still open for another four hours"

          "Oh don't complain, it's not becoming for a young lady to complain," Mrs. Ashmore scolded. Yet it was fine for her to complain as much as she wanted. "Now hurry up and get to the front desk, you're keeping the patrons waiting." With a swift turn of her heel, Mrs. Ashmore stuck up her nose and walked away. I couldn't help but glare at her retreating figure.

          "God I hate that woman," I muttered to myself. Sighing I looked down at the books in my hands. Only three books left. Looking up I assessed the front desk, checking to see if anyone was waiting. Finding no one there I chose to ignore Mrs. Ashmore's demand and continued on putting the remaining three books away.

          Searching through the shelves I managed to locate two of the three books places rather quickly. Glancing down at the book last remaining book in my hand I couldn't help but smile. It was a collection of different fairy tales and one of my favorite books to read as a kid. Letting my moment of nostalgia wash over me I made my way over towards the children's section, knowing exactly the shelf the book belonged on. Once I reached the correct bookshelf I knelt down, placing the book on the lowest shelf. Satisfied with returning the books to their correct spaces I smiled and stood up. Turning to head to the front desk I couldn't help but let out a shriek as a small older woman appeared in front of me. Green almond shaped eyes stared at me. Small wrinkles lined her aged face as gray hair hung loosely from her purple silk scarf. She was so much smaller than me I almost towered a foot above her.

          "You know you're not supposed to shout in a library, very rude," she commented with a smile, making fun of me a bit.

          "Sorry, you scared me there," I apologized.

          "So I did," she acknowledged. Giving her a once over I noticed that the woman's clothing resembled something of a fortune teller. Curious seeing how there weren't any fortune tellers anywhere in town. I started playing with my ring, rubbing my fingers over the amethyst stones, getting a weird vibe from the woman. "Now young lady would you mind helping me find a book on tarot cards?"

          "Tarot cards?" I questioned.

          "Yes, I'm afraid I've gotten a bit rusty with my readings and need a refresher," she explained.

          "Um, I'm sure we have one or two but it's best to check the library database just to make sure," I answered. I began to make my way over to the circle of computers with the fortune telling lady trailing behind me. Stepping up to one of the computers I shook the mouse, waking up the sleeping monitors before typing in "tarot cards" into the search bar. The woman stared at me the whole time as the computer pulled up three different books related to tarot cards. Grabbing a slip of paper and a pencil I wrote down their titles and catalog numbers before handing it to the old woman. "You're in luck. We carry three books on tarot cards."

          The fortune teller kept her eyes on me while she took the paper from my hand. I went back to fiddling with my ring. "Thank you, dearie, I'll go look for those." Nodding I made my way towards the front desk, wanting to put some space between me and the old woman.

          Back at the front desk, I couldn't help myself from flopping down into the worn out computer chair. Sitting at the front desk wasn't my favorite part of the job, not that many people came into the library so it was a pretty boring position. I preferred moving around the library, putting books back and helping library goers find what they're looking for. Cecilia was the perfect fellow employee in how she always wanted to run the desk. Being a busy mom she preferred sitting down and getting some time to relax. It was also because she was a busy mom that Mrs. Ashmore was much more pleasant to her. To her, if you weren't married with a baby by twenty-two than there was something wrong with you. It was one of the reasons why Mrs. Ashmore didn't like me. The only positive side about working the desk was that I was able to work on my sketches. Opening one of the drawers that I kept my bag in I pulled out my sketch pad and a few pencils and flipped to a fresh page. Drawing inspiration from the book of fairy tales I began to sketch out what would be the first drawing in a series of sketches, starting with Snow White and the apple. It had been a while since I did a whole series of artwork and I could feel the creative excitement fill me with the start of the project.

          "Ah, you're an artist I see." I jumped, the voice startling me. I looked up and saw that it was the old fortune teller. "It seems that I scared you again."

          "Uh, yeah, just a bit," I answered and set my pencil to the side. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

          "Oh yes, thank you very much, for the help," the old woman smiled and stared at me. I looked around and saw that she didn't have any books with her. I started playing with my ring, puzzled why she came up to the desk if she didn't have any books. "You have a very strong aura about you, I sense greatness. I would love to tell your future." I didn't have time to reply before she reached into her long sleeve and pulled out a pack of tarot cards. I stared at it confused as she began to shuffle the cards.

          "Um, I'm not sure that I –" I tried to protest but was interrupted at the old woman fanned out the cards in my face.

          "Go ahead and pick one, dearie," she urged. Humoring her so that she would leave me alone sooner I picked a card from the middle, which she quickly took from me. Once again confusion set in when I noticed that the rest of the cards had disappeared. "Ah, The Fool. Now don't be misled by the name my dear. This card speaks of new beginnings and a great adventure for you in the near future."

          Unsettled by the way she continued to stare at me I let out an awkward laugh. "Well, um, thank you for that. I'm glad you found what you were looking for and I hope you have a nice night," I said, hoping that the woman would get the hint.

          "A good night to you as well, dearie, and I hope you have a wonderful journey," the old woman smiled and then slowly made her way out of the library, staring at me the entire time. I shuddered, creeped out.

          Closing time couldn't have come faster. The old fortune teller woman left an eerie feeling in the library making me feel on edge ever since. So I was ecstatic when closing time came. Shoving my sketchbook in my bag I hurriedly finished all the closing duties and locked the library up for the night. Letting out a sigh of relief I began to make my way over to my car. I was halfway there when I looked up and froze. The old fortune teller woman stood before me, staring at me with her unsettling gaze.

          "Such a strong aura," she spoke, repeating her statement from before and began to walk towards me. I began backing up, fully freaked out. "I sense greatness in you." As I backed up I lost my footing and fell backward, letting out a shriek.


	3. Meeting Vala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          The shriek turned into a full out scream as I continued to fall. Suddenly I found myself falling through the sky. Air rushed around me as I quickly plummeted towards the ground. I couldn't help but flail my arms, searching for something to grab onto but only found air. My decent ended with a splash as I was submerged under water. The sudden change stunned me, causing me to sink deeper. I probably would have drowned if something didn't push on my back, leading me back up to the surface. Gasping for air I regained enough composure to start treading water, coughing up the small amount of salt water that I swallowed.

          "It is our first meeting and you almost drown. You are not starting off that well," a female voice stated inside my head. Turning around my jaw dropped and my eyes widened in terror. Right before me was a massive dragon, covered in cerulean scales that shone brightly in the sun. Sapphire eyes stared at me as a scream caught in my throat, fear silencing me. "Do not be afraid, Legendary, for I will not harm you. I have been chosen to guide and teach you."

          "What the? – This has to be a dream," I thought to myself.

          "I best get you out of the water before you fall ill," the dragon's voice once again echoed in my mind. Before I had time to blink the dragon had me grasped in her front claws, pulling me out of the water and flying towards the land. The scream that had been stuck in my throat dislodged as I was once again in the air. This was even worse than when I was falling through the sky.

          I struggled to try and escape from the dragon's grasp, resulting in the dragon's already turbulent flight to become worse. "Please stop squirming, it is making it more difficult to carry you," the dragon groaned, trying to concentrate. I wanted to shout at her, come up with some smart comment to spit back at her, but words escaped me as I caught glimpse of the shore.

          Tall mountains and towering cliffs were scattered across the landscape, some of them accompanied by flowing waterfalls. Vibrant green trees gave color to the landscape of mountains which were woven in between different rivers. Patches of colorful flowers freckled the land, adding to its already beautiful color palette. This place was enchanting. I almost forgot that I was being carried off by a dragon until she dropped me roughly onto the ground. The sudden force sent me tumbling and I couldn't help but let out a small hiss as I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek. Regaining my composure I sat up and lifted my hand to my cheek.

          Bringing it away I was shocked to find blood on my fingertips. "It's not a dream," I gasped in shock. "It's not a dream!"

          "Of course this is not a dream," the dragon said landing next to me. "Why would you ever believe that this is a dream?" I felt my eye twitch at the question.

          "Are you kidding me?" I growled, having had enough. "All I was doing was walking to my car after work and the next thing I know I'm falling through the sky, almost drowning, and then a talking dragon shows up and carts me off somewhere. How could I not think this was a dream!?"

          "I do not understand how me speaking is unbelievable," the dragon stated confused.

          I stared at her dumbfounded. "Unbelievable? You're a dragon! You're not supposed to exist. Dragons are nothing more than a fairy tale!"

          "Well as you can see that is completely false, as I do in fact exist," the dragon corrected and then sighed, "I wonder if Nveryll had this much trouble with Remus."

          "Nveryll? Remus? What are you talking about," I groaned, annoyed with the dragon's answers.

          "They are our predecessors. Remus was the second Legendary and Nveryll was the dragon chosen to be his companion. Before them was Hudraer and Castor, the first ever Legendary to be chosen. You and I now follow in their footsteps," the dragon explained.

          "Legendary? What?" I asked genuinely confused. The dragon sighed once again.

          "It appears I have a lot to go over with you. You best get comfortable, this may take a while," the dragon suggested. Finding myself with nowhere else to go I got up from the ground and sat myself down on a fallen tree trunk, waiting for the dragon to continue. "I believe that introductions are in order. My name is Vala, your dragon companion and teacher, and you are Darcey Evangeline Sutton. Now, Darcey, it has recently been unveiled that you are the third Legendary, a being capable of great magical power sent to save fae and other magical creatures in times of need."

          "But I don't have any magical powers. Besides how can you tell if I'm a Legendary or not," I interrupted.

          "Your eyes, amethyst eyes are the signature feature of a Legendary. As to you not having magical powers, you do is a sense. So far in your life, your magical ability has remained dormant inside you, as you have not had a teacher. But that is my role as your companion. I am to teach you how to use your magic," Vala answered.

          I let out a long sigh and massaged my temples, feeling a headache coming on. "This is a lot to take in." Looking up I took in my surroundings. Everything was so lush and green though I could see patches of flowers off in the distance. This place felt even more enchanting now that I was amongst it. "What is this place?"

          "This is the Moors, it is a land home to many magical creatures. It is a wonderful place to teach you magic. But we will put that aside for now, you have had a long day and need to rest," Vala said. Vala opened her wing as an invitation to sleep beside her. "Come, it will be much warmer for you to sleep against me."

          I stalled, debating whether or not it would be safe to sleep next to a dragon or not. However, the night's chill picked up, causing to me to shiver. Cold and wet I shuffled over to Vala and sat down next to her, leaning against her scales. Sure enough, she was warm. Settled against her Vala's wing came back down, providing more warmth and sheltering me from the wind. I could still see the light of the moon through the thin membrane of her wing.

          "Goodnight, Darcey."


	4. Legendary Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I couldn't help but let out a groan as sunlight shined through my eyelids, waking me up prematurely. It was too early to be awake. Rolling over I tried to ignore the sunlight but was disturbed by something else. Instead of being met with my pillow and mattress I was met with a hard scaly surface. Opening my eyes I was shocked to see that the scaly surface was actually scales and let out a loud scream. This caused the object I was sleeping against to jump up alerted, causing me to fall on my back. Looking up at the object the events of yesterday came back to me as I got a good look at an alarmed dragon.

          "What is wrong? Why did you scream?" Vala asked concerned while checking our surroundings to make sure we weren't under attack.

          "Oh, sorry, I forgot that yesterday really happened and that I agreed to sleep against a dragon," I apologized a bit embarrassed. I fiddled with my ring, nervous that I made her angry. I didn't want a dragon's wrath set upon me. Vala stared at me, taking in the information.

          "You humans are very strange," she commented. I was about to argue back, seeing how she was the strange thing to me but never got the chance as she continued on. "Never the less, now that you are awake we should begin your training."

          "About that…what does this training of mine entail exactly?" I asked getting up off the ground.

          "It is to aid you in learning your powers as a Legendary," Vala answered.

          I blinked at her a few times before responding. "Um…yeah that still doesn't tell me much. Can you go into more detail on that, please? What is a Legendary and what exactly am I meant to do?" My question caused Vala to sigh. Apparently, I was being difficult.

          "As I have already told you a Legendary is a being who is sent to save the magical and fantastical creatures in times of need…" Vala began to explain.

          "Okay, but what qualifies as a time of need?" I interrupted. "Please tell me I wasn't sent here to save a mermaid from a fisherman's net or something."

Vala scoffed, her face twisting into one of annoyance. "Legendaries are not sent for such trivial matters. They are sent when fantastical creatures are facing more serious dangerous situations such as wars or genocides. Centuries ago Castor was transported from Greece during the age of Alexander the Great to Egypt during Cleopatra's reign. During that time a cult dedicated to the Serpent of Chaos, Apep, had appeared and begun killing off shas, the creatures related to the Egyptian god Set for revenge. They were almost completely wiped out, along with some sphinxes who tried to protect the shas. Castor was sent to save the shas and sphinxes from total annihilation. That is what a Legendary is sent for and that is the type of situation that you must be trained for." I stared at Vala, scared by the unknown forces that I would have to face. Vala seemed to notice this as her face shifted into concern.

          "It appears that I have made the mistake of frightening you with Castor's tale," Vala noted.

          "Can I save a mermaid from a net instead?" I squeaked. Vala leaned down and nuzzled her head against me.

          "Do not freight young Legendary, for I will teach you how to use your powers so that you will be prepared," Vala comforted. I hesitantly patted her head as a sign of budding affection. I still didn't know how to feel about everything that had happened but I was grateful that Vala was trying to be more understanding.

          "Alright," I sighed, gaining my composure. "Where do we start?"

* * *

          Vala and I worked hard all day trying to teach me how to use my magical powers. She had first suggested that we work on conjuring my magic just to get a feel for it and the power that I held.

          "Alright Darcey, hold out your hand and concentrate. Focus. Try and manifest a ball of magical energy into your hand. Reach into yourself and find it," Vala instructed. I shook out my nerves, preparing for what Vala was telling me. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and held out my hand. I didn't know what I was looking for exactly but I tried my best to focus on finding it. It started with a simple body check, trying to figure out if there was anything out of the ordinary. It was when I examined below my ribcage that I noticed something different. Set right in the center below my ribs was a strong, warm feeling. The feeling reminded me of sitting in a sunny spot on the floor, absorbing the warmth, as its rays came shining through the window.

          "I think I found it," I told Vala.

          "Good, now focus and try to manifest some of that magical energy into your hand," Vala continued to instruct. I nodded and concentrated on moving some of the feeling towards my hand. Within moments the warm feeling expanded, flowing into my vein and traveling throughout my body in my bloodstream. Flowing up my arm the warm feeling congregated in my palm before fading away. Opening my eyes I gasped as a ball of glowing golden magical energy floated in my hand.

          "Congratulations, Darcey, it appears you have unlocked your magic," Vala smiled. A smile spread across my face as I lifted my free hand to touch the glowing orb. Brushing my fingertips over it I found it to be as warm as it was when I first located it in my body. What surprised me though was that after I touched the magic it burst out into multiple tendrils. I couldn't help but be awed. "It appears to be reacting rather quickly to you. We best continue on with your training."

          After that, she went on to explain some of the basics, simple offensive and defensive magic, healing – helping to take care of the cut I received on my cheek from yesterday – and some simple conjuring and manipulation magic. Finally, night had fallen and we had stopped for the day.

          "You have done well today, Darcey," Vala complemented.

          "Thanks, Vala," I replied. I fiddled with my ring, feeling a bit weird about being complemented by a dragon. Looking down at my ring nervousness set in as I realized something. "Hey, Vala…after this…after I save whatever magical creatures' will be in trouble…will I be able to go back home to my time?"

          Vala's face fell. "You are the first Legendary to come to us from the future. It is unclear if you will be able to go back or not, but looking back at history it does not lean in your favor as Castor was never able to go back to his time," Vala answered carefully. With that panic set in.

          "But…but what about my family?! Am I just never gonna see them again?! What's happening to them right now?! Have I completely disappeared from their lives or are they looking for me? They must think I must have been kidnapped or murdered. Oh, god," I cried, breaking down into tears. My body shook as I fell to my knees in misery, sobbing violently into my hands. As I knelt on the ground crying I felt a wing wrap around my form in a protective manner and Vala's head leaned against the top of mine. It was a while before she said anything.

          "I know that you must be…upset…about this. But, just know that as your guide and teacher, I am here for you," Vala tried to awkwardly comfort me. It happened to be enough as I reached up and hugged Vala's neck as I continued to cry. "I suggest we turn in for the night, perhaps sleep will help calm you down."

          Guiding me back up to my feet with her wing, Vala got comfortable and opened her wing for me to get comfortable against her side. I sulked over to her side and sat down, leaning against her scaled body. Vala looked back at me before folding her wing over me for protection. I stared down at my ring as tears continued to stream down my face. I don't know how long I cried but I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

          I was jolted awake by a loud scream, sending me into high alert. My heart beat fast like it did when the fire alarm woke me up at three am in college or when I found out that my mom had breast cancer. I wasn't the only one who was woken up as Vala jumped up in surprise. We frantically looked around to see if the screaming was coming from somewhere near. Vala had the advantage seeing further than I, being a giant dragon and all.

          "The source is not in the surrounding area. We are safe in case they decide to act," Vala confirmed.

          "I don't know if they'd be able to attack," I piped in, paying attention to the continuing screams.

          "How did you come to that conclusion?" Vala asked.

          "They're hurt, those are screams of pain," I answered. The more I listened to the screams the more they revealed. Yes, this being was in pain, but from the sound of it, there were two different types of pain in the screams. One of physical pain and one of betrayal combined into a continuous wailing.

          "That is not good. This could mean the beginning of the danger that is to come. I shall stay awake and keep guard for the rest of the night. Try and get some rest, who knows what tomorrow will bring," Vala instructed. I stalled for a moment, wondering what happened to cause that wailing. Slowly I got down and laid on the grass, trying to get comfortable. I had to admit, Vala was much comfier than sleeping on the ground, but I had to make due since she was going to be up patrolling the area. A chill sent me shivering as I wrapped my arms around me trying to keep warm. It was cold but sleep did come as I drowned out the screams.

* * *

          Waking up I was surprised to find that the colorful world that I arrived in had darkened, giving off a sort of ominous feeling. My thoughts went back to the screams, whatever happened last night must have led to this change and it must have been bad. One look towards Vala only concerned my suspicions.

          "This is not good. The Moors have completely changed overnight," Vala stated. "We must relocate you to somewhere more secluded, this clearing is not safe anymore and you are not ready to face any danger yet." Before I had time to speak Vala swept me up in her claws and began flying me deeper into the Moors. I couldn't help but let out a scream having no warning of being picked up.

          "You really must stop screaming," Vala commented.

          "Well give me a warning next time you decide to pick me up and maybe I'll stop screaming," I shot back. I could hear Vala rolling her eyes as she let out a small scoff. Vala landed within a few minutes in a heavily forested area. My landing this time was better as Vala carefully set me down on the ground before landing herself.

          "Alright, this appears to be an adequate spot," Vala noted. "We must focus on a creating a shelter for you. Now, Darcey, you must focus on your powers and create a shelter with your magic."

          "I'm sorry what?" I asked bluntly, not believing what she was asking me.

          "You need to conjure a shelter for yourself. Perhaps a cottage of some sort," Vala repeated.

          "Oh no, I heard you. I'm just wondering how you think I can create an entire shelter after one day of magic practice," I stated, crossing my arms in disbelief.

          Vala sighed. "I know what I am asking you is difficult but it has to be done to assure your safety. You need a shelter now that the Moors have changed so dramatically. Darcey, you must try." Vala looked at me pleadingly causing me to sigh in defeat.

          "Alright, I'll try," I said. Reaching into myself I found my magic that I discovered yesterday. I couldn't help but close my eyes while concentrating, trying to conjure an entire shelter – no matter how small – was difficult and it required me pulling much more magic than I had before. Sweat began to coat my brow when I finally started to feel my magic take hold and change the environment. It was a slow process and after a while, I was too exhausted to access my magic anymore. Opening my eyes I was able to see a small cottage in front of me before I blacked out.

* * *

          Waking up the first thing I saw was the membrane of Vala's wing covering me. My head throbbed and I let out a groan as I went to get up, alerting Vala that I was awake.

          "Thank goodness you are alright," Vala said relieved. "You had me worried." She removed her wing from around me and I got a good look at the small cottage that I had created.

          A smile graced my face as I continued to look at it. "I did it," I breathed amazed. Getting up off the ground I walked over to my creation for a better look. It was incredible; the cottage looked like it came out of a fairy tale – which with how things were going I could swear that was what I was in. The cottage seemed to grow out of nature as ivy and flowers decorated the wooden walls composed of natural carvings.

          "Yes, you did. It was very impressive but I was foolish to make you conjure it. I did not think about the possibility of you fainting because of using too much magic," Vala scolded herself.

          "You couldn't have known what would've happened, Vala," I tried to reassure her. "Remember we're both new to this. I am your first Legendary aren't I? 'Cause you're defiantly my first dragon." I saw her smile.

          "Yes, you are my first human," Vala nodded. "Thank you, Darcey."

          "No problem, you are my dragon after all," I replied.

          "And you my Legendary," Vala responded. We giggled and I finally felt that we connected. "You best get inside and rest, there will be no training today after that."

          "Oh yeah, I still have to check out the inside," I muttered to myself. I opened the door to the cottage and stepped inside. It certainly was a cozy cottage. On one side was a small kitchen area with table and chairs and one the other side was a bookshelf and a curtain. Pulling the curtain back it revealed a bed. I sat down and found that it was soft. The cottage was certainly different from what I was used to back home but it would do for now. Who knows, perhaps I could make it bigger when I have more of a handle on my magic. I yawned, still feeling tired from overdoing it with my magic. Laying down I fell asleep, getting the rest that Vala suggested.

* * *

          For the next couple days, Vala and I spent our time training and aiding me in my magic. Vala and I were impressed by how quickly I caught on but she explained that it must have been because I was a Legendary. Still, I felt nowhere near ready to fight off any danger that had come to the Moors. Even though the Moors had darkened I could still see the beauty that enraptured me when I first arrived shine through every time I used my magic. It was like a veil was being lifted from my eyes every time I used my magic and saw a glimpse of what it once was before the veil returned. It made me feel more comfortable knowing that the original beauty was still there.

          Today I woke up ready to start the day. I had a nice bowl of oatmeal with from fresh fruit that I had picked the day before and was ready to start training. That was until I heard a knock at my door. I froze, no one ever knocked on my door as Vala would just be waiting outside for me to start training. Fiddling with my ring I slowly made my way towards my door. Grabbing the handle I stalled for a few seconds before opening my door.

          "Hello?" I managed to choke out. My eyes widened and my breath hitched seeing the visitor at my door. I stood in my doorway, hidden slightly by a shadow from the flowers hanging overhead, too freaked out to move any further. A woman stood there with a staff which a raven sat upon. What shocked me the most though were the horns that came out from her head.

          "Hello, just wanted to stop and visit when I noticed that this cottage had appeared. The Moors hasn't had a new resident in a while. My name is Maleficent."


	5. The Fairy and Her Raven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          Maleficent. The name rang through my head as I continued to stare at the woman. It was hard to believe that she was real, that a character I knew from Disney movies I watched growing up was standing right in front of me. There was a noticeable difference between the cartoon and the woman though, for one she wasn't green and her eyes weren't a sickly yellow.

          "Maleficent," I repeated breathlessly.

          "Yes, Maleficent, protector of the Moors. And as protector of the Moors I must ask how you managed to sneak in here and set up a cottage," she asked, her tone getting a bit more menacing.

          "I…" I stuttered, not knowing how to respond.

          "Step out of the shadows my dear, it is rude to lurk in doorways," she instructed. I stepped out from the shadows out of fear. I remembered what she was like in the Disney movie and it wasn't a good idea to upset her so it was best to listen, especially since she didn't seem too pleased with me to begin with. As I stepped out of the shadow Maleficent gasped.

          "Those eyes. The only beings to have violet eyes are…you must be them, you must be the Legendary," she worked out. With a sudden change of demeanor, a genuine smile spread across her face. "You must be here to help save the Moors."

          Maleficent placed her free hand on my shoulder as a sign of friendliness and gratitude but it just caused me to flinch. She must have noticed as she swiftly removed it. "Sorry for frightening you earlier can never be too careful after what happened," she apologized. "I didn't catch your name."

          "It's Darcey, Darcey Sutton," I answered, a bit relieved that she didn't mean me any harm but was still a little bit on edge from the beginning of our encounter. The raven that perched on her staff cawed at me, causing me to jump. I forgot he was there.

          "Handsome bird you got there," I mentioned after calming down.

          "This is Diaval," Maleficent said. With a wave of her hand the raven that had been perched on her staff transformed into a dark haired man standing next to her. I gasped, that certainly wasn't part of any Sleeping Beauty story I knew of.

          "Handsome bird indeed," I couldn't help but think to myself as I looked at him. The bird man in question smiled at me.

          "It is a pleasure to meet you, Darcey Sutton," Diaval said. He took my hand in his and lifted it up to his lips. I couldn't help but blush from his gesture, no one did that back home. Things like chivalry were dead in the modern era.

          "It's a pleasure to meet you as well," I responded. I was caught in his eyes for a bit before coughing myself back into reality. "So, regarding what you said earlier about never being too careful what was that about? What happened?" I was curious; it could have something to do with what I might be up against.

          "I…I trusted a human and he betrayed me," Maleficent explained and moved her hand to her shoulder, reaching for something that wasn't there.

          "Those screams from earlier this week, was that you?" I asked shocked. Maleficent nodded, avoiding my gaze. Moving around a bit I saw the raw, dried bleeding marks on her back causing me to gasp. "You're hurt. Come inside please, I'm still a bit new to my magic but I can help heal you."

          Maleficent looked at me in shock and then nodded. I ushered her and Diaval into my cottage and was about to enter when I saw Vala's head peek out from behind the trees.

          "Sorry, Vala, no training today. There are some more immediate issues I need to deal with" I apologized. Vala nodded and looked at me proudly, happy by my actions with Maleficent. I turned away and entered my cottage ready to heal Maleficent.

          Maleficent had sat herself down on my bed as Diaval leaned against my table. Moving past them I grabbed a cloth and then dipped it into water before moving over towards Maleficent.

          "I need to try and wash off the dried blood if I'm going to heal it," I explained. "It might sting a bit." Maleficent almost laughed.

          "I can hand it, nothing could hurt more than what he did," Maleficent said. "Go ahead."

          With the go ahead I sat down on the bed and began to clean Maleficent's wounds. Even after what she said I still noticed her wince. Diaval looked at her with pity in his eyes which caused Maleficent to wave her hand, transforming him back into his raven form. It still shocked me as it did before.

          "Um…there's some berries in the kitchen that you can have," I offered to the raven. Diaval cawed at me before flying over to the kitchen. Maleficent appeared relieved that his attention wasn't on her anymore. Once I was done cleaning the wounds I summoned my magic and began healing.

          "I am thankful for you doing this," Maleficent spoke up.

          "It's no problem," I shrugged off, trying to concentrate on healing another person.

          "It is great timing that you have arrived. The humans have been trying to take over the Moors and after I was attacked I worry about what is to come," she expressed. "Tell me, Darcey, have you come to us from far?"

          I stalled a bit a feeling of sadness washed over me and I looked at my ring for a bit before answering. "Yes…very far."

          "You sound sad," Maleficent noticed.

          "I don't really wanna talk about it," I told her. She nodded accepting my response.

          "Well we are on the same side, I hope we become close enough that you'll allow me to know," Maleficent said.

          I thought about what she said. So far the Maleficent in front of me was so different from the one that I remembered from the fairy tales. She was the protector of the Moors, the place that I'm sure I have been sent here to save. Her land was under attack and she was left injured. Sure she could have been lying but I saw the truthfulness to her words behind her eyes, she was being genuine. If she had such a kind raven then she must have been a good person. Besides, Vala seemed to agree with my actions of healing her. I looked over to Diaval who was munching happily on berries and then back to Maleficent. Perhaps we could be friends but only time could tell.


	6. A Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          Months had passed since my encounter with Maleficent and since then I had only grown closer to the fairy and her raven. The two began to visit me more, seeing my growing magic each time that they came over. Vala had continued to train me whenever Maleficent and Diaval weren't over.

          "It's better that they get to know you without me around for now," Vala explained to me one day during training. She had started speaking less formally a few weeks ago much to my delight.

          "What, so they don't have an intimidating dragon breathing down their necks forcing them to like me?" I joked around.

          Vala laughed but didn't answer me, instead, she continued on with the training. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I started believing that the only reason Vala refused to interact with anyone but me was because of her lack of trust. I was an exception as Vala explained to me that when I was revealed to be the new Legendary she was granted all this knowledge of me. A bit creepy but it made it easy for her to trust me and me her in return. But all others she stayed away from, no matter what species they were. Made me wonder how she'd act when the time for fighting came. Would she be with me or off to the sidelines?

          Today I sat in my newly transformed house. With the growth of my magic, I was able to expand my original cottage. I now had a bedroom all of my own, containing a large, comfy king size bed. The room I was most pleased with however was the bathroom. It took a while trying to come up with the right type of magic to mimic plumbing but I had finally gotten it right. I sighed in delight remembering last night's shower, the first shower I had had in a long time.

          "You look like you're enjoying yourself." Turning around I noticed Maleficent standing in my doorway. I gave her a soft smile, she had been pretty tense lately with trying to protect The Moors.

          "Hey Maleficent, care to join me for tea?" I asked her from my seat at the kitchen table. She gave me a simple nod. As she moved to join me I conjured up a teapot. I then enchanted my teapot to pour her a cup of tea.

          "Thank you," Maleficent told me, accepting the cup and taking a sip. "I see you expanded. When did that happen?"

          "Yesterday. I've been wanting to expand for a while but was never powerful enough to do so. It went great, I didn't faint this time," I explained. "So where's Diaval?"

          "He's off spying on Him," Maleficent answered. I nodded. After three months of knowing each other Maleficent had opened up to me about what happened. She used to be friends, and then more than friends, with the current king, Stefan, but he betrayed her by cutting off her wings to become king. After sharing her story I defiantly wanted to cut off his dick for doing that to her. "Something important is happening, I can feel it."

          Another cup of tea later I heard a familiar cawing before seeing Diaval flying into the room. With a quick wave of her hand, Maleficent transformed him into his human form. I couldn't help but stare at him when he transformed. Months of seeing him transform and I still wasn't used to it.

          "Well?" Maleficent asked.

          "Well, I saw nothing," Diaval answered. "But there's been a um…"

          "What?" she asked.

          "Child." I froze in my seat. Aurora. Sleeping Beauty. I looked over at Maleficent who looked absolutely livid. Diaval even looked worried. "King Stefan and the Queen have had a child. There's going to be a christening. They say it's to be a grand celebration."

          "A grand celebration for a baby. How wonderful," Maleficent seethed. I could see the plotting going on behind her eyes.

          "What are you planning," I asked.

          "Well, of course, I'm going to go" Maleficent answered. I watched her stand up and go to transform Diaval back into a raven so that she could leave but I stopped her, catching her wrist as I stood up. I could see she was shocked by my action. Diaval even looked at me surprised as he had already prepared to be transformed again.

          "Maleficent, what are you planning?" I demanded to know. She remained quiet. "Maleficent, I know that He hurt you and that he deserves hell for what he's done. But please, please, don't do anything to the baby. They're innocent." Maleficent didn't say anything but pulled her wrist free and then walked out of the cottage. I turned to Diaval with pleading eyes.

          "I'll try to make sure nothing happens to her," he promised me before being called by his mistress.

          The next day my nerves were shot. Vala sent me home during training because I couldn't concentrate. It was the day of the christening and I just knew that something bad was going to happen. I was pacing back and forth in my kitchen, fiddling with my ring, when a bright, lime green light exploded outside. Running to my doorway I was shocked to find that Maleficent and Diaval appeared. Upon seeing me Maleficent avoided eye contact.

          "Maleficent, what happened," I asked to which she gave no answer. "What happened?!"

          "Come, Diaval, let's go," Maleficent said turning away to leave.

          "No!" I shouted. Focusing, I shot golden spirals of magic at Diaval, transforming him into a man. Both of them were surprised at what I was able to do and stared at me in shock. I was surprised as well that I was able to transform him but pushed it aside. "What happened at the christening?"

          "Maleficent gave the child a…gift," Diaval told me. I closed my eyes in frustration. This was the thing that I was hoping wouldn't happen.

          "You mean she cursed her. You cursed Aurora. God, I should have known it would happen. From the first time I met you, I should have known it would happen but you were nothing like the stories. You were kind and wanted to help protect The Moors. Everything was different from the stories I was told. I had hoped that things would be different. I even asked you not to do anything to her but it still happened," I ranted.

          "Stories?" Maleficent asked confused.

          "Darcey, calm down. What do you mean you knew this would happen?" Diaval asked, taking hold of my shoulders. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

          "You asked me before if I came from far. The reason I knew that you were going to curse Aurora was because I came from far into the future where there are multiple stories about her. She's known as Sleeping Beauty," I told them.

          "So you knew that Stefan would cut off my wings?" Maleficent asked betrayed.

          "No, like I said everything was different. The stories had nothing of you being the protector of The Moors or having Diaval transform into a man or anything about you having wings. The dispute that caused you to curse Aurora in the stories was because you weren't invited to a birthday party, not that you had bad blood with the king to begin with," I explained. She seemed to accept my answer. "Maleficent, I'm the Legendary, responsible for saving fae and other magical creatures. It's clear that what I'm going to be fighting against are the humans trying to destroy The Moors. I'm on your side. I'm your friend."

          "So what happens to me in the stories?" she asked, moving past any hurt feelings.

          "Depends, most stories just have you vanish after cursing Aurora," I answered.

          "And the ones that don't?"

          "Well…the most famous has you transforming into a dragon only to be taken down by a single sword while fighting a prince," I told her. Both Diaval and Maleficent looked at me horrified. "But I can't say I know what's going to happen for sure from this point on. You changed the story from the moment I first met you."

          "So what happens next?" Diaval asked. The way that he looked into my eyes screamed that he wanted to help Aurora just as much as I did. With him being so close I could clearly see the scars that were scattered across his face and down his neck. They looked like feathers.

          I coughed, bringing myself out of my thoughts. "Aurora's most likely going to be taken away and hidden within the forest. Diaval, can you go look for a cottage, one with three women and a baby?" I asked him.

          "Of course," Diaval agreed.

          "Wait right there. Diaval is my servant, not yours," Maleficent pipped in. I could see that she was still angry and wasn't going to let out of her revenge plan so easily.

          "The being that you are using for your revenge has been taking away by people who are trying to hide her. I don't approve of your actions but I am pretty sure that the location of Aurora should apply to your plan," I told her. I could see that she wanted to say something but agreed with what I had said.

          I turned back to Diaval. "I…I'm going to turn you back into a raven now." Diaval nodded and released my shoulders. Taking a deep breath I summoned my magic and transformed him back into a bird. He cawed once before taking off into the sky, leaving me and Maleficent standing awkwardly in front of my cottage.


	7. Experience With Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          It didn't take long for Diaval to find the cottage; the fairies in charge of hiding Aurora weren't exactly quiet from what Diaval told us. We came upon it at nightfall when the fairies wouldn't be able to see us. Peering into the window we saw Aurora laying in her basket in the kitchen, crying up a storm.

          "It's going to starve with those three looking after it," Maleficent noted.

          "Am I hearing a bit of concern, Mal?" I smirked, using the nickname I'd given her a while back.

          "I need the thing to grow in order for my plan to work," she responded with a frown. Still mad at me I see. She then proceeded to grow a bottled pacifier out of nature and handed it to Diaval in his raven form. "Go and feed the little Beasty."

          I smiled at her as Diaval took off inside the house, putting the pacifier bottle in Aurora's mouth. She drank from it happily as we looked on. It made me think back to when Summer was born. Sawyer and his wife Natalia were so happy for their daughter's arrival, along with my parents who were ecstatic to be grandparents. The first of my nieces. Then there was Maisie. Then Jocelyn and Charlotte from Gianna and her husband Aiden. And finally Sawyer and Natalia's son Jackson, the first boy. Just seeing Aurora made me miss them immensely.

          My thoughts were interrupted by Aurora's cried. She had finished eating but it hadn't been enough. Diaval tried rocking the basket to calm her down but it wasn't working. Instincts took over as I felt my magic transfer me into the room. I picked her up from the basket and began to rock her in my arms.

          "Shhh, shhh," I hushed gently. A familiar lullaby came into my mind, one that I'd sung to everyone one of my nieces and nephew.

"Come stop your crying  
It will be alright  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight

I will protect you  
From all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

For one so small  
You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always"

          I smiled as Aurora quieted down, cooing at me before falling asleep. Carefully, I put her back in her basket. Diaval looked up at me both surprised and impressed by my actions.

          "It's best we leave now. Who knows when the three fairies will come and check on her," I told Diaval and Maleficent. They both nodded, Diaval flying out the window and me transporting out of the cottage. We went our separate ways for the rest of the night. I returned to my cottage, a feeling of sadness creeping into my soul.

          When day broke I made my way over to the cottage and knocked on the door. I was tossing and turning all night and made a decision. The fairies weren't capable of taking care of Aurora so I would. I ran my plan over with Vala beforehand and she agreed with my plan. Now I just had to execute the first part. The door opened as three women stood there, staring at me intensely. Pink, blue, and green, just like the Disney story. Though the looks on their faces told me they weren't the lovable fairies I grew up knowing.

          "Hello, I noticed that you just moved in. I'm your neighbor, Darcey. I live a bit further off into the woods," I said, introducing myself. "I brought you a fruit basket as a welcome gift."

          I pulled out the basket of fruit from behind my back, presenting it to them. The fairies eyes lit up at my offering. Tricking them to let me into Aurora's life would be easier than I thought.

          "It's nice to meet you, Darcey," the one in pink said, grabbing the basket from my hands. "Thank you ever so much for the fruit." Peaking around them I noticed Aurora still in her basket in the kitchen.

          "Oh, you have a baby!" I cooed, putting on my act. "I adore kids. I would love to babysit for you three from time to time. The fairies in green and blue were about to jump on my offer but the pink one stopped them.

          "Do you have any experience with children?" she asked wearily.

          "Of course. I have four nieces and a nephew that I used to look after before I moved out here," I explained.

          "Well then, we would love to have you babysit little Aurora," the pink fairy smiled. "Do you think, perhaps, you can look after her tomorrow?"

          "Sure. I'd loved to," I agreed.

          "Excellent! Then we'll see you tomorrow," she said. "Goodbye, Darcey." They shut the door in my face before I had time to respond. I let out a breath before turning around to head back home. I succeeded, but why did the sad feeling only increase? My fingers found my ring, fiddling with it. I was surprised to see Maleficent and Diaval in his human form hiding amongst the trees, waiting for me.

          "Smart thinking, Darcey. Now you can help me with baby duty," Diaval smiled at me.

          "Baby duty?" I asked confused.

          "I assigned Diaval to look after the little Beasty," Maleficent informed me. "Can't have those three killing her."

          "I'm surprised that they didn't guess that you were the Legendary when they saw your eyes," Diaval pointed out. I didn't even think about them recognizing the significance of my eyes. Maleficent laughed.

          "Please, those three wouldn't know as Legendary if it hit them in the face," Maleficent mentioned.

          "Well, you crafted a great story anyway. Coming up with nieces and nephews," Diaval said. That struck me. My hands curled into fists as the sadness transformed into a heaviness that sunk into my stomach. I was shaking. "Darcey? What's wrong?"

          "I didn't make it up. I have four nieces and a newborn nephew. I have a brother and sister who are both happily married. I have a mother and father. And I'm here, away from them all," I spat out. I wanted to crumble. I wanted to cry and shout and go home. But I couldn't. All I could do was run and hope that the feelings lessened.

          I heard Diaval call after me but I just ran. I needed to be alone. No, that's not what I needed. I needed my family. But I wasn't going to get my family. Tears were fully streaming down my face by the time I made it back to my cottage. Once I reached my door, however, I couldn't find the strength to open it. The muscles in my legs gave out as I slide to the ground. I heard strong flaps of wings as Vala landed in front of my house.

          "I felt that you were in distress? What's wrong?" she asked in a panic. Raised my head and looked at her, not caring about her seeing me cry.

          "I… I miss them, Vala. I miss them," I stumbled through.

          "Oh, Darcey. My poor Legendary," she spoke softly, understanding what I meant. I crawled over to her, wanting some kind of comfort. She welcomed me with love, her wings wrapping around my small, shaking form as she let me cry.


	8. An Apology and Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I woke up with a groan, feeling something small jumping on me. Sitting up I stretched to find my body felt stiff and that I had slept on the ground outside. I must have fallen asleep on Vala last night. But where was my dragon? I was broken out of my thoughts by continuous cawing. Looking down I saw a raven jumping up and down frantically in front of me.

          "Diaval?" I questioned, my voice a bit hoarse from all the crying last night. The raven nodded just as frantic in response. With a quick flick of my wrist, my magic transformed Diaval into his human form.

          "Darcey, are you okay?!" he asked worried, kneeling down and looking me over for any injuries.

          "I'm fine, just a bit emotionally drained and a tad stiff from sleeping on the ground," I answered. As Diaval helped me back up to my feet I heard a few of my bones crack, it felt nice.

          "You shouldn't be sleeping out in the open all alone," Diaval told me.

          "I wasn't alone. Vala was with me all night," I informed him, walking into my cottage for a drink. I needed to get rid of the scratchy feeling in my throat.

          "Vala?" Diaval asked confused, following after me.

          I walked over to my sink and got myself a drink of water. Gulping it down I let out a sigh finding my throat quenched. "My dragon," I answered. "She's the one who brought me to the Moors and has been training me with my magic."

          "Really? I haven't seen her," Diaval said.

          "She's not exactly ready to meet you guys yet. At least that's what she tells me. I think it's because she's antisocial which I really need to work with her on. So why are you here? Not that I don't enjoy seeing you and what not…" I clumsily backtracked, noticing that he'd gotten pretty close.

          "I just wanted to apologize, for what I said yesterday. I didn't mean to upset you so I'm sorry that I did." I tensed remembering snapping at him yesterday. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to keep myself together. My eyes focused on the empty glass I'd set down on the counter.

          "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

          "Unintentional or not I still hurt you, and for that I am sorry." Diaval took my hands in his and look at me with so much sincerity. I couldn't help but blush at the action.

          "Well, aren't you a gentlebird," I smiled. Inward I slapped myself for sounding so stupid but was surprised when Diaval chuckled anyway.

          "Of course, especially to pretty maidens," he smiled. I swear his goal was to try to make my whole face red.

          "You're… you're forgiven," I stuttered, pulling my hands out from his. Letting out a cough I pushed a piece of hair behind my ear before turning my attention back to the empty glass. I really needed to calm down before… "So does this mean you're coming with me today for babysitting?"

          "If you wouldn't mind?" Diaval asked.

          "No, no, it's fine. Might as well get Aurora used to a raven being around early. But for now, why don't you join me for breakfast," I offered.

          "I'd be delighted."

          I made the both of us bowls of oatmeal, topping it off with some cinnamon and fresh berries. It was quick and easy. Plus I didn't exactly know if Diaval had eaten yet as a human so I figure might as well start him off with something with familiar elements. I'd seen him eat the berries as a raven and I think birds picked on oats every now and then. Diaval ate enthusiastically, gushing to me about the new flavors and textures. I couldn't help but smile when he complimented my cooking.

          "It's nothing. If I had more time I'd make crepes or…" I went to say.

          "Crepes?" Diaval interrupted confused.

          "Yeah, they're like a really thin pancake that you fill with ingredients like berries or fruit or chocolate," I tried to example but Diaval still remained confused. I let out a small laugh. He really hasn't experienced much human food. "Maybe you and Maleficent should just come over for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I'm pretty curious to see how you'd react to some foods."

          "I'll be sure to extend the invitation to Maleficent but I'd be sure to try some more of your excellent cooking," Diaval replied. I blushed again at his compliment. Wow, this bird was a flirt.

          As we finished up eating I took the dishes to the sink and used my magic to automate the cleaning process. Sure I still cooked and did other activities by hand but cleaning was something I was thankful that my magic could take care of, especially since it was so much harder in this time period. I turned to Diaval and informed him that I was going to turn him back into a raven before doing so. It was something I just did to be polite, I know I wouldn't want to be transformed back and forth without any warning and Diaval seemed glad that I took the time to do so. With him transformed we headed out to go babysit Aurora.


	9. CeCe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          Aurora took to me right away, enjoying when I sang to her and tickled under her chin. She also would coo at the raven who just happened to be around. The fairies liked to dump her on me whenever they could, not that I minded. Aurora was at least taken care of when she was with me. It was nice taking care of Aurora, it reminded me of when I took care of my nieces when they were little. Of course, those memories would bring sadness and a heaviness that was becoming too familiar for my liking. Diaval would try to cheer me up when he noticed during babysitting, hopping around and doing tricks in his raven form. They would get a small smile out of me and giggles from Aurora, enough to distract us for a little while.

          The young princess grew more and more each day, becoming more observant of her surroundings. There were times I'd catch her looking out into the forest where Maleficent would be lurking, spying on us from afar. It was when Aurora was two that she decided to find out who owned the pair of eyes that peaked out from the leaves. She ran off from me, straight towards Maleficent. Diaval and I happened upon the meeting just as Aurora grabbed at Maleficent to be picked up. What surprised us was that Maleficent actually gave in and picked her up. I couldn't help but giggle when Aurora reached up and touched Maleficent's horns. Maleficent shot me a glare before walking over and handing Aurora off to me.

          "I thought you two were supposed to be looking after the child," she said, glancing at Diaval who perched on a nearby branch.

          "We were. She seems to have taken a liking to you," I smiled, balancing Aurora on my hip.

          "Yes well I dislike children," Maleficent brushed off. "Now run along and try and keep a better eye on the Beastie." I rolled my eyes but took off. Maleficent would admit that she liked Aurora sooner or later.

* * *

          "You know, we haven't been out flying in a while," I mentioned, sitting on a large tree root while Vala and I talked. It was one of my days off from babysitting as the fairies were taking Aurora out on a picnic for some bonding time.

          "Hm… some flying does sound nice. I do need to stretch my wings," Vala agreed.

          "Stretch your wings? You fly all the time you silly dragon," I teased. "How else do you get back and forth from here to wherever you hide."

          "Flying doesn't sound as appealing anymore," Vala replied with a smirk.

          "Shut up!" I laughed.

          "Oh alright. Climb aboard, Darcey." I gave Vala a large smile before walked over to her. Grasping hold of her wing I pulled myself onto her back and situated myself. "Ready?"

          "Ready."

          A flap of her wings and we were off, wind blowing my hair back. I had gotten better with flying with Vala since my first time. Though my first time flying with her I was freaking out about falling from the sky into the ocean and then seeing a dragon. She didn't exactly help by just picking me up in her claws and flying me off. But now, flying was pleasant. The wind in my hair, the feeling of moisture after running my hands through the clouds, and the view was amazing. Being up in the air was so freeing.

          I looked out at the landscape. It had changed so much since I first arrived here, becoming darker thanks to Maleficent's mood towards the human who betrayed her. But the Moors still looked amazing. Especially form up in the air. As we continued flying I looked down to see the fairies having their picnic. But where was Aurora? I scanned the area and found that Aurora was chasing a butterfly, heading straight towards running off a cliff.

          "Aurora!" I couldn't help but shout as I was filled with panic. Thinking quickly I stood up on Vala's back and then jumped.

          "Darcey!" Vala cried out as she saw me fall.

          My heart was pounding as I fell but not for that reason. It was because Aurora was getting closer and closer to falling off the cliff. I didn't make it to the ground quick enough as Aurora tumbled off the cliff after the butterfly. I released my magic, causing a growing tree on the side of the cliff to catch her. When I did so I noticed that my golden magic was mixed in with another that had a green tint to it. Maleficent. The enchanted tree lifted Aurora back to safety as I used my magic to safely land on the ground. I ran over to the child and enveloped her in my arms.

          "God, Aurora. You have to be more careful," I said into her hair and then kissed her head, happy that she was safe.

          "Darcey, are you two alright?" Vala mentally asked me. I looked up to see my dragon hovering about me. I simply gave her a thumbs up to which Vala nodded in response before flying off.

          "CeCe," Aurora giggled. I tensed, haven't heard that name in a while. Aurora didn't give me time to pause as she pulled on my sleeve to gain my attention. She had a wildflower in her hand, holding it out for me to take. I gave her a small smile before taking the flower.

          "Thank you, sweetie," I said. Aurora reached up and kissed away a tear I didn't know had fallen. She wanted to make sure that I was okay. "Now run back to your Aunties."

          I watched as Aurora ran back to the three fairies before quickly sulking back into the forest. I couldn't help but fiddle with my ring while looking at the flower. It had been so long since I've been called CeCe. Tears began silently falling down my face. I heard a cawing before seeing Diaval appear in front of me, being magicked into his human form. Maleficent followed behind him.

          "Darcey, are you alright?" Diaval asked, seeing that I was crying.

          "You made quite an entrance there with that dragon of yours," Maleficent commented.

          "That's the second time I've fallen from the sky, though this time it was voluntary," I laughed off, trying to wipe away my tears.

          "Really?" Mal asked.

          "Yeah, that's how I arrived. Fell straight from the sky into the ocean," I told them, trying to drag myself out of the sad heaviness that was wanting to set in. I've cried enough.

          "Darcey, why are you crying?" Diaval asked.

          "It's… um… it's nothing. Just something silly. Aurora just called me something that my nieces would call me when they were little," I tried to brush off.

          "You must really miss them," Maleficent noticed.

          "Every day," I replied as another tear fell down my cheek. I furiously wiped it away. "And I'm so tired of crying." Diaval walked over to me, took the wildflower from my hand and placed it in my hair.

          He proceeded to hug me. "We're here for you Darcey. Me, Maleficent, Vala, and even Aurora. We're here for you," he told me. I hugged him back before looking over at Maleficent. I smiled at her before she rolled her eyes and walked over.

          "Oh alright," Maleficent said and then pulled me into another hug.

          "Thanks, guys," I laughed.

* * *

          When I returned to my cottage I sat down in my living area and sighed. Looking at my ring an idea spawned into my head. Stirring up my magic I conjured a cup of tea, a sketchbook, and a pencil on my coffee table. I took a sip of my tea before opening up the sketchbook and began to draw. I decided that maybe drawing my family would help lift this heaviness that would weigh me down. Mom and Dad, Sawyer and Natalia, Gianna and Aiden, Summer, Maisie, Jocelyn, Charlotte, and Jackson. Closing my eyes I brought up a memory of each one and began drawing.


	10. Let Me Introduce You To My Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          As Aurora grew older the attacks on the Moors became more frequent. Maleficent would often send Diaval to inform me of these attacks to which I would drop everything and head over to help Maleficent fend off the attackers. Vala just so happened to not be around to get me to the battle more quickly. I was starting to get annoyed. Vala was my dragon, we were supposed to be a team. How'd she expect me to do my job as the Legendary when I'd get to where I needed to save and the battle was already finished. That needed to be fixed and quick.

          It was night as Vala hung out around my cottage, watching as I played around with my magic. I was laughing and having fun when in the distance I saw a large ball of fire being shot at the wall of thorns Maleficent and I magicked up to try and keep humans out of the Moors.

          "It appears you're needed," Vala commented.

          "Yeah, let's go," I said and went to climb up onto her back. Vala backed up in response.

          "What are you doing?" she asked me. I swear I heard nervousness in her voice.

          "Getting on your back so that you can fly us to the wall," I answered.

          "You don't need me to get there," Vala replied, still trying to back away from me.

          "Yes, but I always get there late when the battle is practically done. What if I can't get there in time and the humans take over the Moors? Vala, you flying me there would be much faster and can help me save fae better," I told her.

          "But…" Vala tried to protest.

          I simply crossed my arms and stood in front of her. "We're partners in this whole Legendary thing. Either you fly me there or I'm not going at all," I told her annoyed, giving her an ultimatum. Vala stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse to get her out of going with me. I gave her a look and Vala sighed.

          "Alright, get on," Vala submitted. I gave her a large smile before climbing up onto her back. We arrived at the wall in only a few minutes, much shorter than if I had to find a way there all by myself.

          The attackers were screaming war cries when we arrived but those quickly turned to ones of terror once I arrived with Vala. Maleficent was surprised when she saw us arrive but quickly pushed it aside to explain what was going on.

          "They set fire to the wall," she told us.

          "Well then let's throw it back," I suggested. Maleficent smiled and we began to fight back. Maleficent manipulated the wall of thorns, swatted the attackers back. I used my magic to bend the flames from the wall straight back at them. Vala even helped, breathing fire at people. In no time we had them running away back to the castle.

          With the attackers gone we sent to work fixing the wall. I quenched the flames and Maleficent then healed the thorns. Vala sat and watched us work, not knowing what to do.

          "Thank you. You two arrived just in time," Maleficent smiled when we were done.

          "No problem. Oh!" I walked over and gestured to Vala. "Mal, this is my dragon, Vala. Vala this is Maleficent."

          Maleficent gave Vala a small nod. "It is nice to meet you, Vala. Thank you for your help defending the Moors," she said. Vala nodded in response. She didn't say anything but her sticking around and meeting Maleficent was a huge step in getting her to be more social. I was so proud of my dragon.

* * *

          It had been a long day of taking care of Aurora. The young princess was six now and was having fun running around and keeping me and Diaval on our toes. She enjoyed playing hide and seek in her Aunties garden, which was overgrown due to their incompetence. The only times she settled down was for lunch or when she asked me to tell her stories. Today she'd been extremely active and tired me out. Diaval had been so kind to keep me company on my walk, letting me transform him into his human form so that we could talk.

          Him and Maleficent had come over to my cottage and saw my wall of family portraits. This often became our topic of conversation when we were alone, him asking about my family. I would tell Diaval stories about my nieces and how much Aurora reminded me of them, or stories from my own childhood growing up with Sawyer and Gianna. It was kinda therapeutic just talking to somebody about them. It helped lessen the heaviness just like how drawing the portraits did. There were times during my stories that I could tell that Diaval didn't know what I was talking about but he just smiled, just pleased to see me happy.

          The both of us arrived at my cottage just as Vala landed in front of my house. Diaval was surprised by her appearance and stumbled back a bit, just staring at her. Vala noticed Diaval and started back up, getting ready to leave.

          "Oh, you have company. I should go," Vala said.

          "Oh, no. You stay right there. It's about time you two met. After all, I spend just about as much time with Diaval that I do with you," I stopped her. Taking hold of Diaval's hand I dragged him over to Vala and introduced them. "Vala, this is Diaval. Diaval, this is my dragon, Vala."

          "So this is the dragon you've told me about," Diaval replied.

          "So this is the bird who constantly flirts with you," Vala responded.

          I couldn't help but blush. "Vala," I scolded.

          "It's nice to meet you, Vala," Diaval said to her before turning to me. "How do you two communicate exactly?"

          "What do you mean, we talk all the time. Didn't you hear her?" I asked confused.

          "No, did she say something?" Diaval answered.

          "Yes, she… Vala, how is it that I'm the only one who can hear you?" I turned to ask her.

          "I communicate with you mentally. It is possible for me to communicate with others the same way but I see no point in doing so. You are the only important one in my book who is worth talking to," she answered. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. She'd talk to other people eventually.

* * *

          Aurora was ten now and settled down a bit from constantly running off, much to my delight. Her favorite thing to do now was explore the forest a bit for a good setting for me to tell her stories. She would lead the way while Diaval and I followed her, him either flying or chilling on my shoulder. Today she lead us out to the field where she and her aunties had the picnic the one day. Aurora observed the surroundings before deeming it good and sitting down, waiting for me to tell her a story.

           I grew up with, avoiding a particular one for reasons. It was fun retelling them, going all out and even singing the songs from the movies. Aurora and Diaval loved them and I would often find them humming one of the latest stories songs. With today's setting, I decided on Beauty and the Beast as the flowers near the cliff reminded me of Belle's one song.

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere  
I want it more than I can tell  
And for once it might be grand  
To have someone understand  
I want so much more than they've got planned," I sang.

          The story was interrupted however when Vala made an appearance, landing directly in front of us. All three of us were surprised by her appearance. Aurora ran up and hid behind me.

          "Darcey," she greeted.

          "Vala, what are you doing here?" I asked.

          "Well I was flying by when I saw you with the little one, so I decided to drop in and say hello," she answered. I was completely shocked. Vala, the dragon who didn't want to interact with anybody but me, willingly dropped by to say hello. "Is that alright?"

          "Oh, yeah sure," I replied. Turning around I looked down at Aurora who wasn't sure what to do. "Aurora, would you like to meet a friend of mine?" She nodded in response causing me to smile, she typically wasn't this shy. I took Aurora's hand and lead her over to Vala. "Aurora, this is my friend Vala. Vala, this is Aurora. Don't worry, sweetie, she won't hurt you."

          "Hello, Vala," Aurora said, a bit nervous. Vala simply smiled and then bowed her head. Feeling more confident Aurora let go of my hand and walked up to Vala. She hesitantly placed her hand on Vala's head and began stroking her scales. Aurora gigged. "You are a very pretty dragon. Darcey, why didn't you tell me you had a dragon friend?"

          It was time to come up with an excuse. I didn't want to tell her that I was the Legendary in case she went back and told the fairies. Then there would be a problem. "That's because she's my secret friend. There are people out there who would want to hurt Vala so I've had to keep her friendship a secret from everyone. After all, I don't want her getting hurt. But now she's your secret friend as well so you have to promise me that you won't tell anybody about her, not even your aunties. Promise?"

          "Promise. I don't want anybody to hurt Vala," Aurora promised. Vala cuddled her head into Aurora's side in response, causing her to giggle. I couldn't help but chuckle as well, seeing Vala be so affectionate with someone other than myself. But then again it was Aurora, everyone couldn't help but love her.


	11. Into the Moors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I watched Aurora from the shadows of the trees as she approached the wall of thorns. She was fifteen now, the dreaded sixteenth birthday coming up in a couple months, and she'd become interested in finding out what was behind the great wall of thorns. It was a late fall night, winter sneaking in as a thin layer of snow coated the ground, as I watched her. She must've snuck out of her Aunties house to come here, not that they would notice. Maleficent had called me and Vala towards the wall seeing Stefan's soldiers approaching for another attack. My attention was caught however catching a glimpse of familiar golden locks. The soldiers noticed her as well and were about to attack her when they realized that she was just a peasant girl. With the soldiers walking back to the other I ran over and pulled Aurora back to where I was hidden by the trees.

          "Darcey!" she whisper-shouted, surprised that I caught her. "I can explain."

          "Aurora, I've told you how dangerous the walls could be with the soldiers around," I scolded her.

          "I know but…"

          "Aurora, this isn't the time for you to be exploring. Now get out of here before a battle starts. I don't want you getting hurt," I told her. Aurora looked dejected and went to leave when some magic was shot out at her. The magic put her into a slumber and sent caused her to float in the air. I looked around to see that it was Maleficent who was the culprit. She moved Aurora into the trees, hiding her.

          "Mal, why did you…" I went to ask.

          "Shh, we best get rid of them," Maleficent said, referring to the soldiers. I nodded and then Maleficent turned Diaval into a wolf.

          The three of us went to work chasing away the soldiers. Maleficent and I using our magic, her more so messing with them instead of just attacking like I was. Diaval was doing a good job just scaring them away in his wolf form, biting at their ankles to get them to run away. The soldiers were gone in no time and Maleficent turned Diaval into his human form. I suppressed a laugh when he had to get up from on his hands and knees.

          "How can you do that to me?" Diaval asked Maleficent, feeling betrayed.

          "You said anything I need," Maleficent replied.

          "Yeah, but not a dog," Diaval complained.

          "It was a wolf, not a dog," Maleficent corrected.

          "It's the same thing. They're dirty, vicious, and they hunt birds," Diaval continued on before turning to me. "Can you believe this? At least you'd ask me before turning me into a dog."

          "I always tell you before transforming," I pointed out.

          "Exactly! See this is why I like you the best," Diaval said as he stepped into pace with me.

          "Sure, that's the reason," Maleficent commented as she brought Aurora down from the trees and began to lead her into the Moors.

          "Mal, what are you doing?" I asked.

          "I'm curious," she replied, not giving much of an answer.

* * *

          "Aurora, honey, wake up," I said as I shook Aurora awake. Once Maleficent got further into the Moors she laid Aurora on the ground and lifted the spell. She proceeded to turn Diaval back into a raven before hiding amongst the trees. Aurora's eye fluttered open.

          "Darcey? Where am I?" she asked confused.

          "Welcome to the Moors," I smiled and helped her up to her feet. She looked around amazed by the fantastical feeling that surrounded the place with the glowing plants. Her smile widened when several creatures began to fly around her. Aurora giggled in delight and I couldn't help but smile at the sight as well.

          The creatures flew away however once they got a glimpse of Maleficent. Aurora even caught her shadow. "I know you're there. Don't be afraid," Aurora beckoned to her.

          "I'm not afraid," Maleficent told her.

          "Then come out," Aurora smiled.

          "Then you'll be afraid," Maleficent replied.

          "No, I won't," Aurora assured her. Humoring her Maleficent came out of the shadows. Aurora was surprised at first but that quickly turned to Maleficent being surprised that Aurora didn't run, instead Aurora smiled at her. "I know who you are."

          "Do you?" Maleficent asked.

          "You're my Fairy Godmother. You've been watching over me my whole life. I've always known you were close by," Aurora answered.

          "How?" Maleficent asked.

          "Your shadow. It's been following me ever since I was small. Wherever I went, your shadow was always with me," Aurora explained. Diaval cawed, drawing Aurora's attention. She smiled at him, seeing as he's been as present in her life as I have. "Hello, pretty bird."

          "This is Diaval," Maleficent introduced and then transformed him into a man. Aurora, took a step back, shocked.

          "Hello, Aurora. I have known you since you were a little one," he told her as he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

          "My, what a gentleman," I commented. "He did the same thing to me when we first met." Diaval smiled at me in response.

          "Darcey, have you always been able to come to the Moors?" Aurora asked.

          "I kinda live here," I admitted shyly.

          "So does that mean you're magical too?" she asked.

          "Guilty as charged," I answered.

          "She's probably the most magical out of all of us." Diaval complemented, winking at me.

          "He's also a bit of a flirt," I blushed, telling Aurora.

          "He only flirts with you," Maleficent commented causing the pink on my cheeks to redden.

          "It's everything I imagined it would be. It's just so beautiful! I've always wanted to come here…" Aurora went to say. But Maleficent didn't let her finish as she cast another sleep spell on her.

          "Mal…," I chastised.

          "It's getting late," she replied and then left to take Aurora back to her house.

          "I'll… I'll walk you back to your house," Diaval said, offering his arm to me. I sighed and nodded, taking his arm as we began to lead me back to my cottage. Maleficent had definitely warmed up to Aurora, especially seeing as she allowed her into the Moors, but she still had a way to go.


	12. Bonding Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Darcey is a Hufflepuff  
> (61% Hufflepuff, 15% Ravenclaw, 12% Gryffindor, and 12% Slytherin)

          Maleficent continued to bring Aurora into the Moors much to mine and Diaval's delight. Sometimes we would all just sit and watch as Aurora got to interact with the residents of the Moors. Seeing such wonder fill her eyes was an amazing thing to witness. When we were alone together during the day she would talk to Diaval and me about how she was excited to go to the Moors again that night, listing off all the things she loved about the place. We simply smiled at her in return, since Aurora found out about his human form he asked me to transform him during these times together. It was much easier for him to talk to both of us that way.

          Snow hadn't stayed for long and the winter was surprisingly warm for the year. I wondered if it had anything to do with Maleficent actually warming up to Aurora. It allowed Aurora to come around to the Moors more often, not that I think she'd let some cold weather stop her. Tonight, the three of us watched as Aurora interacted with more of the Moor's creatures. One of the wallerbogs was quite taken with her and offered Aurora a small bouquet of wildflowers.

          It was a sweet gesture but was interrupted as another wallerbog threw mud at Aurora who in return threw some back. Soon there was an all-out mud war between the wallerbogs and Aurora as the three of us looked on smiling. Laughter filled the air as mud was flung everywhere. It stopped however when a bit of mud got on Maleficent's cheek and everybody froze. I couldn't help but giggle a bit trying to stifle the sound by placing my hand over my mouth. Diaval was much more open about his laughing. Maleficent responded by magically flinging mud at his face, practically covering the side of his body. I let the laughter loose after that as did everyone else.

          "Alright, let's go get you two clean," I said to Aurora and Diaval after the laughter died down a bit.

          "Don't think that you're getting out of this," Diaval said and then gestured towards Aurora. The two ran towards me and enveloped me in a muddy hug.

          "Guys!" I whined a bit but couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, come on before you catch a cold."

          "Where are we going?" Aurora asked.

          "To my house," I answered and began to lead them to my cottage, Diaval quickly matched his stride of mine, knowing the way by heart.

          "I get to see your house?" Aurora asked excitedly.

          "Yes, I think it's about time. Now come along," I answered.

          The two followed me, Diaval more so helping me lead the way, to my cottage. It had certainly improved over the years. With the strengthening of my magic, I was able to replicate the modern facilities I was used to using magic. I couldn't exactly make the exact thing, didn't want modern technology during this day in age, who knows what could happen if somebody stumbled upon it. Aurora was amazed once they came upon my house. There were some plants from the Moors hanging over my cottage, eliminating some places with magical light.

          "You live here?" she asked me.

          "Yep, built it all myself," I answered.

          "You built this?" Aurora asked in disbelief.

          "Well, my magic did," I admitted and then opened the door for them to walk in.

          "Amazing isn't she," Diaval commented.

          "I would love to see your magic someday," Aurora told me.

          "Well you're in luck," I said and lead them to my designated bathroom area. I could tell Aurora was confused that I didn't have a large basin for a bath. Locating my small drain in the floor I summoned my magic and created a rain cloud towards my ceiling. Aurora was amazed by this. I put my hand under the water to test out the temperature and found it a bit too cold for my liking.

          "Hmmm, I can never get the temperature right first try," I muttered to myself and then used my magic to adjust the water temperature. Putting my hand underneath again I smiled when I discovered that the water was warmed enough. "Perfect. Alright, now Aurora, you can wash up first. There are bottles of soap for your hair and skin on the shelf and towels in the chest."

          "Alright," Aurora nodded and I lead Diaval out of the room.

          "That's not how human's bath is it?" Diaval asked me when we reached the kitchen.

          I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that's how I bath. I find it more efficient than sitting in a tub of dirty water which is how people typically bath. Helps get the dirt off better," I answered. "You've never bathed as a human have you?"

          "Never needed to," Diaval answered. "You might need to help me with this." I blushed intensely at this.

          "Uh…"

          "Is there something wrong?" he asked confused.

          "You kinda need to undress in order to bath," I told him.

          "Okay… I still don't understand why you're blushing," he said.

          I couldn't believe that I need to explain the situation he was asking me to be in. "You want me… to help you shower… naked? Typically when a man and woman are naked together that means their doing something else." Diaval looked at me still confused for a moment before blush took over his face in realization.

          "Oh! I promise you I didn't mean…" he hurriedly tried to apologize.

          "It's fine," I coughed. "You're not human so I should have expected you not to know some human things. I… I'll help you with your hair but everything else you have to do on your own."

          "Thanks," Diaval said and we looked away from each other awkwardly. This was strange, Diaval was typically flirty but now he was being really shy.

          "Okay! I'm all done!" Aurora announced and then came out, covering herself with a big towel. Diaval looked away from her, being polite and not wanting to see anything he shouldn't. "That was so pleasant. You wash up like that all the time?"

          "Yes, it's a luxury that I adore. Took me some time to figure out how to do that. You can head into my bedroom while I take care of your clothes," I said and lead Aurora towards my room. I closed the door once she was in and turned to Diaval. "Okay, let's do this."

          Diaval and I made our way back to my bathroom. I noticed Aurora's dirty clothes next to the chest of towels and the rain cloud getting rid of the last of Aurora's mud.

          "Okay, shirt and shoes off," I told him. "I'd prefer that the pants stay on until I leave." Diaval obliged and did as I told him before getting under the water.

          "It's warm," he commented.

          "Would you rather it be cold?" I sassed.

          "No, it's really nice," he replied with a smile.

          I returned his smile and grabbed my bottle of shampoo. "Let's take care of your hair." I lathered the shampoo and my hands and began to massage it into Diaval's hair. Very quickly I noticed brown, muddy soap fall towards the drain. Diaval hummed in response.

          "This is nice," Diaval commented.

          I felt blush appear on my face. "Yes, I always enjoy my showers. The water's great for sore muscles and it gives me time to reflect on things," I told him, continuing the scrub away the mud from his hair. Diaval just hummed again in response as he enjoyed the water. Once the soap became white again I rinse the soap off. Our eyes met when I was done and we blushed.

          "Uh, I'll go take care of the clothes," I said and moved away from him, grabbing Aurora's dress and Diaval's shirt and shoes.

          "What about my pants?" Diaval asked.

          I turned my back to him before I answered. "You can… you can take them off now and toss them towards the door."

          "Okay." I waited a while and saw Diaval's pants be thrown at the door. I picked up the soaked pants and went to leave but words from Diaval stopped me. "Darcey, thank you."

          "No problem," I smiled and then left. Out in my kitchen, I magicked the clothes clean. I left Diaval's right outside of the bathroom door and went to deliver Aurora's to her. She smiled upon seeing me. "Here you go, sweetie."

          "Thank you, Darcey. I can't believe that you live here," Aurora told me and began to get dressed. I turned away out of respect. She'd always been comfortable undressing in front of me since she was a little girl, probably because I often cleaned her up when she got dirty. "Your house is so pretty. Does Vala live here as well?"

          "No, she's much too big. She lives somewhere else out over the ocean but likes to visit," I chuckled.

          "Does she visit a lot?" Aurora asked.

          "Of course, she is my dragon after all," I smiled.

          "Okay, I'm finished," Aurora announced. I turned around to see her smiling face. Her hair was still wet, dripping down onto her dress. I motioned for her to sit down on my bed to which she complied. Moving behind her I began using my magic to dry her hair. Aurora paused for a moment. "Would… would I be able to visit your house?"

          "I don't see why not," I replied.

          "Perfect! I that way I can explore the Moors with you and Diaval and my fairy godmother at any time of day!" Aurora cheered.

          "And what about sleep?" I asked teasingly.

          "I'll sleep in the trees," Aurora came up with, causing me to laugh.

          "I'm sure your Aunties would love that," I commented.

          "I guess you have a point," she admitted.

          There was a knock on my door. "Um, Darcey, I'm all done in there," Diaval said from the other side.

          "Looks like I'm up," I said and got up from the bed. "I'll get you and Diaval some tea while I wash up." Aurora nodded and we exited the room. Diaval as all dress and water from his wet hair dripped down the side of his face. I smiled at him and then magicked up some tea and a shelf pouring teapot for the two. "I'll be out soon enough so we can take you back to your house." Aurora nodded and I headed into the shower.

          As soon as the water hit me I began to reflect back on the day. Aurora certainly wormed her way inter Maleficent's heart. It was nice to see Maleficent genuinely smile for once. Hopefully, that would continue. Aurora was certainly enjoying her times in the Moors and was getting closer to every one of us. I'm certain that will only increase more since I opened up my house to her. And Diaval…. Diaval and I had always been close but tonight was definitely something. I'd never seen him that shy around me before. It made me curious how things would be between the two of us.


	13. Revoke the Curse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          After returning Aurora back to her cottage Diaval walked me back to my house and bid me good night. I had a cup of tea and finished up a drawing of Vala I'd been working on before going to turn in for the night. That was interrupted however by Maleficent magicking herself into my bedroom. I let out a shriek.

          "Darcey!" Maleficent said once she spotted me.

          "Mal, you almost gave me a heart attack. Use the door next time you visit," I replied, clenching my hand to my chest, urging my heart rate to slow down back to normal speed.

          "Darcey, I need your help. It's Aurora," Maleficent told me frantically.

          "What's wrong with Aurora?" I asked worried.

          "I tried to revoke the curse. I went to her house and tried to revoke the curse I placed on her but I couldn't," Maleficent explained. "Darcey, I need you to try. Your power as a Legendary might have the strength to break it. Aurora doesn't deserve what I've done to her."

          "The Beastie finally wormed her way into your heart," I somewhat smiled. "Okay, I'll try."

          "Great," Maleficent said, letting out a small sigh of relief before grabbing my hand and using her magic to teleport us.

          I stumbled when we arrived. Maleficent transported us quickly without a warning that I had a small head rush. I took a second to compose myself before I looked up and saw that we were in Aurora's room. She was fast asleep in her bed. Maleficent stepped aside to let me work my own magic to try and revoke hers.

          Taking a deep breath I walked up to Aurora and hovered my hands over her body. My golden magic swirled out of my palms and began to surround Aurora's body. I urged my magic to locate Maleficent's curse and tried to pull it from Aurora, essentially freeing her from it. Once my magic touched the cursed magic, however, a huge force was sent towards my and sent me flying back out of a window and into a tree.

          I cried out in pain as the back of my head hit the trunk of the tree. My vision went dark for a moment as I heard, "This curse will last till the end of time. No power on Earth can change it." An echo of Maleficent's curse that she put on Aurora. My aching body slid down the tree and I just sat against the tree trunk. It hurt too much to move.

          "Darcey!" Maleficent exclaimed as she appeared at my side. I winced at how loud she was.

          "Shh! You'll wake the fairies," I hushed. "Uh, my head is pounding." The loud sounds didn't stop as the addition of cawing appeared next to me. I looked over to see a familiar raven flapping his wings frantically at my side. "Diaval, you're not helping."

          Maleficent used her magic to transform Diaval back into his human form to be less of a bother. Sure he could talk now but that was better than constant flapping and cawing. "What happened?" he asked worried.

          I looked over at Maleficent sadly. "I couldn't revoke that curse. When my magic touched it the curse flung me backward. I'm sorry," I told her. Any hope that was in Maleficent's eyes vanished. A moment of disappointment from Maleficent passed as she focused on me.

          "How are you feeling?" she asked.

          "My head is killing me, and my body hurts. I don't know how I'm going to get back to my house," I answered.

          "Darcey!" a familiar voice in my mind shouted.

          Once again I winced. "Can we stop with the shouting? My head hurts enough as it is," I whined. A small vibration in the ground signaled that Vala landed. I looked over to see her walking up to us. "Vala, get out of here before the fairies see you."

          "But you're hurt. I must return you to my cottage," Vala said and then went to pick me up.

          "No! I am not flying and I am not teleporting. My head is injured as it is, a head rush would only make it worse," I told them.

          "Well, you can't walk so what do you expect us to do?" Maleficent asked.

          "I'll carry you," Diaval suggested.

          "What?" I asked confused. It was hard trying to keep up with things.

          "I'll carry you back to your house. That way you don't have to fly or teleport or walk," he explained.

          I had to seriously concentrate to think about what he said but in the end, I nodded in agreement. "Okay."

          "What? Darcey, you can't seriously be thinking about letting that bird carry you back," Vala complained.

          "That bird is my friend, Vala. And a dear one at that," I told her. "Okay, pick me up, Diaval. I wanna go home." Diaval nodded and then picked me up in his arms. I winced at first but quickly adjusted myself. I laid my head on his chest as he stood up and began to carry me back to my house.

          "Am I not your friend too? Am I not your dragon?" Vala complained to me, clearly annoyed and angry about my choice.

          "Vala, please, my head is pounding and my body aches. I am not in the mood for an argument at the moment. I love you but leave it be for another day," I begged.

          "He better not drop you," Vala grumbled.

          "He won't," I assured her. She glared at Diaval before taking off into the sky.

          "What did she say?" Diaval asked.

          "She said you better not drop me," I told him.

          "Never," Diaval said and smiled down at me. "You're too beautiful to drop."

          "Always the flirt," I chuckled, blushing a bit.

          "Get some rest, I'll have you back before you know it," Diaval told me. I nodded against his chest and focused on staying away. I probably had a concussion so sleep wouldn't be a thing for a while, or at least I could use my magic to heal myself. But at least I could manage staying awake by talking to Diaval. Our conversations were always nice.


	14. Save the Eggs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          "So, how's Vala? I haven't seen her since December?" Aurora asked as we sat down and had tea at my cottage. Diaval and Maleficent, who were also present, shot me a look. It had been two months and we hadn't told Aurora anything about what happened that night when I tried to revoke Maleficent's curse.

          "She's been a bit busy," I smiled. "Vala laid her eggs back in January and has been busy keeping them warm. She'll be back around in the spring."

          "Vala's going to be a mom?" Aurora asked excited.

          "I didn't know Vala found a mate," Maleficent piped in.

          "Well, mates aren't that big of a thing for dragons. They're very independent creatures that only breed once in a hundred years. The male typically leaves right after the eggs are laid," I explained.

          "So the father just leaves the mother with the eggs? That's unheard of for my kind. Us raven's mate for life," Diaval disapproved.

          "Do you have a mate Diaval?" Aurora asked. I shifted a bit in my seat, finding myself uncomfortable thinking about Diaval having a mate.

          "No, still haven't found the right bird yet," Diaval answered.

          "More like no females have chosen you yet," Maleficent said, taking a sip of tea. Diaval's face reddened either out of anger or embarrassment I couldn't tell, perhaps both.

          "I'm sure that Darcey would choose you. After all, I first thought you two were together when Fairy Godmother showed me that he can become human," Aurora said. I blushed at her suggestion as Diaval turned and looked at me. Maleficent was even curious as to what my response would be.

          "I mean, you're great Diaval and we've worked so well together over the years but… I'm not a raven. I'm sure you'd rather be with another raven than a human," I answered, trying to hide that sadness in my voice.

          I'd thought about attempting a romantic relationship with Diaval over the years. I mean, his flirting suggested that he liked me and we did work well together taking care of Aurora. But the reminder that he was a raven came up every time Maleficent or I transformed him and that's what stopped me. A raven wouldn't want to give up his life as a bird to be with a human.

          Diaval looked like he was about to say something but stopped when I stood up in alarm, looking out my window. I could feel a large amount of distress coming from Vala thanks to our mental connection.

          "Something's wrong. Vala's in trouble." I told my friends. "I have to go help her."

          "Go on, Darcey. We'll accompany Aurora back to her house," Maleficent offered.

          I nodded in thanks and then focused my magic on Vala's location. Concentrating really hard my golden magic surrounded me as I transported myself to my dragon.

* * *

          Vala had set up her nest a close to the Moors within a cave by the ocean. She thought that it would be close to me while also being hidden enough from anyone else. Apparently, the latter wasn't the case for when I arrived I discovered that Vala was being attacked by a large group of men. One of them noticed me and came at me with his blade which I quickly dodged. I sent some magic at him, flinging him away from me. Looking over I saw Vala trying to fend off the attackers while simultaneously trying to protect her eggs.

          "Darcey, thank god you're here," Vala said when she noticed that I was there.

          "Care to tell me what's going on?" I asked, flinging aside another man who came at me.

          "They're here for my eggs," Vala told me as she used her tail to knock a row of man back.

          "Well that's not going to happen," I replied, narrowing my eyes.

          My magic turned more offensive as I myself began attacking the men. There were a lot of them, something I was used to having defended the wall of thorns from Stephan's army of men, but I didn't have a wall between us to protect me. I was up close fighting against these men. It was scary, especially as they thrust their swords at me.

          It took a bunch of my concentration to fight off the assailants. Vala and I were doing a good job fending them off and most of them had either retreated or ended up dead, burnt to a crisp or slashed thanks to Vala. I was fighting off against one of the remaining men when I heard a bird cry out from behind me. From the corner of my eye, I saw a man had snuck up behind me and was about to slash me with his blade when a familiar bird attacked his face.

          In doing this he distracted the man but also distracted me. The man I was fighting against swung his sword at me. I was quick to react but wasn't quick enough as his blade managed to slice my side. I let out a cry of pain as my hand went to cradle my now bleeding side. Feeling a burst of angry flow through me I tackled the man, causing the both of us to fall into the ocean water right at the edge of the cave. It was a shock falling into the water but I tried to keep my concentration as I kicked my attacker deeper into the water's depths. He tried to fight back, swinging his sword at me once again, but the weight of his sword was too heavy in the water. It didn't get very far. With my air running out I used a burst of magic to send him so far down that he wouldn't get back up to the surface.

          I watched as bubbles of air erupted from his mouth, guaranteeing that he wouldn't be coming, before swimming back up to the surface myself. I gasped for a breath of air and then hoisted myself up onto the edge of the cave. My breathing was heavy as laid on the ground trying to compose myself. It appeared that Vala had taken out the remaining attackers. A harsh pain reminds me of my slashed side that continued to bleed. Summoning up some energy I used my magic to heal the wound. I let out a sigh of relief when I felt my skin was completely healed.

          The familiar bird from before landed next to me, using his beak to brush my wet hair from my face. I lifted my hand and transformed him into Diaval. He helped me to a sitting position, worry in his eye.

          "Are you alright?" he asked.

          "Fine. Exhausted… but fine," I answered.

          "You could have gotten her killed, bird," Vala growled at Diaval. He looked around confused beyond belief.

          "Who said that?" he asked.

          "I did," Vala answered.

          "Finally comfortable talking to someone who isn't me?" I teased, letting out a slight chuckle. "It's Vala, Diaval."

          "You're lucky that my human is fine, bird," Vala glared at him.

          "How are the eggs?" I asked. Vala's expression softened as she looked back at her nest.

          "They're fine. I made sure those bastards didn't get to them. Thank you for coming, Darcey," Vala told me.

          "You're my dragon, Vala. Of course, I'd come to help. Besides, it is my job as a Legendary to protect magical creatures," I smiled at her.

          Vala gave me a small smile. "I best get you two back to shore. There's no way I'm letting you magick yourself back to your house. The fight appears to have drained you of energy and having to heal yourself and transform that bird brain didn't help," she told me.

          "Bird brain," Diaval scoffed insulted.

          "Just help me up, bird brain," I teased. Diaval rolled his eyes but helped me to my feet and then helped me up onto Vala's back before getting on himself.

          "Better keep your hands in the appropriate places bird," Vala told Diaval before we took off. The first flap of Vala's mighty wings and Diaval had his arms wrapped around my waist. I couldn't help but laugh when Vala took off and he tightened his arms around me, holding on for dear life. Looks like the bird was afraid of flying via dragon.

* * *

          Vala dropped us off when we reached land, not wanting to be farther away from her eggs for much longer. She threatened Diaval that he better get me back home alright to which I told her that I was a grown woman and that I could make it there just fine. He still hovered around me the whole way back to my house.

          "Why did you come?" I asked. "It's not like you could have done a lot as a raven, no offense."

          "I was just worried about you, that's all," he answered.

          "You've seen me fight before at the wall of thorns. What made you so worried about this time?" I asked still confused.

          "I was always there with you at the wall where I could see that you were alright. I guess this time just scared me a bit more," Diaval told me.

          "That's sweet but you know I can take care of myself," I told him.

          "I know. It's just that… I care about you a lot, Darcey," he said, cradling my face in his hand. My breath hitched when I realized how close we were. So close that I could have easily kissed him but I didn't when the thought of him not wanting to be with a human entered my mind again.

          "I care about you too, Diaval. You're a great friend," I said, disliking how the word friend tasted on my tongue. I pulled out of his touch and made my way towards my door. "It's been a long day. I should get some rest."

          "Darcey," Diaval said as I walked in my cottage.

          "Yes?" I replied, curious as to what he wanted.

          "Can I… can I use your shower?" he asked.

          I couldn't help but pause, a bit taken aback. "Uh, I think I can muster up some magic for that, sure," I answered. "May I ask why?"

          "I have some things to think about," he replied and followed me into my house.

          I got Diaval situated in my bathroom and then retreated to my bedroom, exhausted from everything that happened today.


	15. Spring Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I smiled as baby dragons bounded back and forth between Vala and me, hungry for both of our attention. A giggle escaped my lips as Nym, Vala's only daughter, ran up and nuzzled her face against my cheek. Seeing this her brothers, Drago and Typhon, ran over and jumped into my arms, not wanting to be left out.

          "They're amazing, Vala," I laughed. Her eggs hatched two weeks ago but it was only now she brought them over for me to meet as they just learned to fly.

          "Yes, well, they've been excited to meet their Auntie," Vala smiled.

          I looked up at her in shock as the baby dragons raced over to play against their mother's tail and wings. "Really?" I asked, my eyes beginning to water. "You want me to be their Aunt?"

          "You're my human, Darcey. My best friend. I want you to be a part of my children's lives. Besides, if Aurora can have Aunties that aren't related to her then my children can have you as their Aunt," Vala replied. A large smile spread across my face as happy tears fell. I opened my arms wide and looked at my niece and nephews.

          "Come give your Aunt Darcey a hug!" I exclaimed. Drago, Typhon, and Nym gladly obliged as they tackled me to the ground. I burst into laughter as the three of them licked my face.

          "Darcey!" I heard Aurora call out. Shielding my face from the on slot of kisses I looked towards where Aurora's voice was coming from and noticed her, Maleficent, and Diaval heading my way.

          "Guys! Come over and meet my niece and nephews!" I called out to them. At the appearance of Aurora, the young dragons raced over to see her. Aurora ahhed and crouched down to pet them.

          "They're so cute!" she squealed with delight. Maleficent walked over to Aurora to see the baby dragons as Diaval helped me off the ground.

          "You alright?" Diaval chuckled.

          "I'm wonderful," I replied with a smile. "I'm an Aunt again." He smiled at my excitement.

          "What are their names?" Maleficent asked, smirking as Drago rubbed up against her legs like a cat.

          "Well, that icy blue dragon at your feet is Drago. His brother, Typhon, is the one with the midnight blue scales and their sister, Nym, is the one with seafoam green scales," I explained.

          "Your hatchlings are beautiful, Vala," Diaval complimented.

          Vala smiled at the remark. "Thank you, bird."

          Ever since we got back from saving Vala's eggs Diaval made it his mission to better his and Vala's relationship. The few times she's visited he'd always be sure to ask how she's doing, how her eggs were doing, and overall being a gentleman. It took a few visits but Vala warmed up to him. She still called him bird but I was quick to explain to Diaval that's how she was. After all, she referred to me as her human or her Legendary instead of Darcey at times. It was nice to see them getting along.

          "Oh yes, I almost forgot," Diaval said and presented me with a flower I didn't know he'd been holding. "A pretty flower for a pretty lady."

          "Another one?" I giggled as blush spread across my face. "I'll be sure to add it to my vase."

          That was another thing Diaval had taken to doing. Ever since things started blossoming again he'd give me a flower whenever we saw each other, saying that same thing. "A pretty flower for a pretty lady." It was a sweet gesture that always left me blushing.

          "Actually, Darcey, I was hoping to talk to you about something," Diaval admitted.

          "What is it, Diaval?" I asked curious.

          Before he had time to respond however Aurora spoke up. "Oh, everything here is so amazing. I wish I didn't have to wait until I'm older to live here," Aurora sighed.

          "You don't have to wait until you're older. You could live here now," Maleficent offered.

          I was surprised with how sudden the offer was before realizing where Maleficent was coming from. Aurora's sixteenth birthday was coming up and we had yet to discover a way to break the curse. Perhaps this would be the best way to prevent that, having Aurora live with us in the Moors. A large smile spread across Aurora's face.

          "Then I will. I'll sleep in a tree and eat berries and black nuts and all the Fair people will be my friends," Aurora gushed excitedly.

          "Nonsense, I'll create you a cottage of your own," I said.

          "Really?" Aurora asked.

          "Of course. If I was able to make myself a small cottage during my early magic training…"

          "Which she did and proceeded to collapse right afterword. Scared me beyond belief," Vala interrupted.

          "My point is, I can magic up a cottage for you in no time," I continued.

          Aurora ran over and gave me a big hug. "Oh, thank you, Darcey! I'll be happy here for the rest of my life," Aurora said and then released me from the hug. "I'm going to tell my aunties tomorrow. Oh, I'll have to go practice what I'll say to them. It was lovely meeting your babies, Vala. Darcey, can you build my cottage near godmother's tree?"

          "No problem, sweetie," I smiled. We watched as Aurora walked off towards the forest to go practice what she was going to say.

          "I best get these little ones back to the nest, it's almost dinner time for them," Vala said and gathered her children.

          "Alright, see you later Vala. Bye guys! I'll be sure to have a special treat for you three when you come and visit again," I said getting Drago, Typhon, and Nym excited.

          "Don't you spoil them," Vala warned me.

          "Too late, you brought this upon yourself when you decided to make me their aunt. And as an aunt it's my job to spoil my niece and nephew," I told her. Vala rolled her eyes and said her last goodbye before flying off with the three baby dragons. "Looks like we're gonna have to talk later, Diaval. I have a cottage to build."

          Diaval looked at me a bit disappointed but nodded. I waved goodbye to him and Maleficent and then headed towards Maleficent's tree to scope out a good place to build Aurora's cottage.


	16. Talk of True Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I let out a satisfied sigh as I completed Aurora's cottage. It was small, defiantly not as big as mine but a great size for a young girl like her. The thing which took me the most work was the shower set up since I remembered how much she enjoyed mine. Of course, I had to adjust it since Aurora had no magic so I hid a rain cloud in the ceiling which Aurora could access by pulling a cord. When it was hidden away I made sure that the water ran off into a fountain I'd placed outside. Bathrooms: my proudest accomplishments.

          Seeing that I was done with my task I set out to find Aurora and show her her new cottage, excited to see her reaction. It took a while of me wandering through the forest near her auntie's cottage. I ended up finding Maleficent and Diaval, in raven form, who were watching her from a distance. What surprised me, however, was seeing that Aurora was talking with a young man.

          "What's going on here," I asked Maleficent curiously.

          "A boy apparently," Maleficent responded not sounding impressed. I rolled my eyes at the protective fairy and watched the two's interaction.

          "It's that way. The castle," Aurora told the young man pointing south. "What's your name?"

          "It's Philip," the young man answered.

          A huge smile spread across my face upon hearing his name. Finally, Aurora's savior. I bounced up and down in excitement, covering my mouth so that I wouldn't squeal so loud that it would alert them to our presence. Diaval and Maleficent sent me a strange look before turning back to watch the conversation.

          "Hello, Phillip," Aurora replied.

          "What's yours?" Philip asked.

          "Aurora," she answered.

          "Hello, Aurora," Philip said, getting a smile from Aurora. "Well, it was nice meeting you. And once again, my apologies for being such a clumsy fool."

          "You're forgiven," Aurora smiled.

          "That's good. I'd best be off then. Goodbye," Philip said, giving Aurora a small bow before beginning to leave.

          "Will you be back this way?" Aurora asked suddenly, stopping Philip in his tracks.

          He turned back around with a bright smile. "Nothing could stop me."

          "Then I'll see you soon," Aurora replied happily. "Goodbye, Philip."

          "Goodbye, for now, Aurora," Philip replied and then went off in the forest, Aurora watching him go. When he was completely out of sight Aurora sighed a lovesick sigh before heading back to her auntie's house.

          I turned to Maleficent and saw that Diaval was just as excited as I was, flapping his wings to get Maleficent to turn him. Maleficent ignored him annoyed by the situation. Taking matters into my own hands I transformed Diaval into his human form myself. The excitement on his face mimicking my own.

          "That boy's that answer," he said to Maleficent.

          "No, Diaval," Maleficent dismissed.

          "Yes! True love's kiss, remember? It can break the spell," Diaval said hopeful.

          "True love's kiss? Have you not worked it out yet? I cursed her that way because there is no such thing," Maleficent explained.

          "Of course, there's such a thing as true love. I've seen it myself," I told her. "I've seen it in the eyes of my parents during their anniversary dinners, I've seen it when my brother married his wife. I've seen it in the delivery room when my sister gave birth to her first child. I've seen it, Mal. True love is real and it's beautiful."

          Maleficent gave me a look that spoke miles of disbelief before walking away back towards the Moors. I let out a disappointed sigh before turning to face Diaval. He looked at me with wonder in his eyes, moved by my speech.

          "That was… wow," he commented.

          "Thanks, sure seemed to work on Miss Doom-and-Gloom," I replied. "But I really do believe that Philip will be the key to saving Aurora. Remember those stories I told you about from my time? Well, he's part of them. Even down to the name. He's the one who wake's Aurora up with a kiss."

          "Are you sure about this?" Diaval asked, placing his hands on my shoulders.

          "About 90% sure?" I answered, remembering the other Sleeping Beauty stories.

          "What about the other 10%?" Diaval asked a bit worried.

          "You don't wanna know, but I'm positive that it will work. We just need to convince Maleficent," I said.

          "We can do that later. Let's head back to the Moors. I really need to talk to you about something," Diaval pushed aside, his hands sliding from my shoulders to hold my hands.

          I couldn't help but blush when he lightly squeezed my hands. "Uh, okay. Is teleporting fine with you?" I asked. Diaval nodded in response.

          Having received my answer, I slid my hands up to Diaval's forearms, getting a good grip. I wanted to make sure that my magic would teleport the both of us. Closing my eyes I focused on home before feeling the warm familiar glow of my magic encircle us, transporting us to the front of my cottage. With our feet back on magical soil, Diaval took my hand and led me towards the brook where Aurora had her mud fight.

          "So… what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, a bit confused as to why this conversation needed to be held in this exact location.

          Diaval didn't say anything. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an amethyst gemstone which sat in the palm of his hand. I looked at it confused and then looked up at Diaval to see complete nervousness in his eyes. It reminded me of how my brother, Sawyer, looked before he proposed to his wife. My eyes widened coming to a realization.

          "It's spring… mating season," I muttered, starting to talk myself through my revelation. "The flowers… the gem…. You've been courting me this whole time."

          "I guess I wasn't obvious enough," Diaval chuckled, trying to hide his nerves.

          "But why? I thought you would want to mate with a raven. Not stick yourself with a human like me," I asked confused.

          "Why wouldn't I? You're an amazing woman, Darcey. A woman who's fun and creative and beautiful. I've watched you as your friend for so many years, seeing you advance in your magic, protect the Moors, and raise Aurora from just a babe," he explained.

          "We raised her," I interrupted, correcting him.

          Diaval smiled. "Yes, yes we did. We really do work perfectly together. You're the first person, human or animal, that I ever truly cared about. Darcey, I don't care that you're not a raven. You're the perfect mate in my eyes. My true love."

          My breath hitched hearing him refer to me as his true love. "Are you sure about this?" I asked, nervously playing with the ring my mother gave me.

          "Yes, I've had plenty of time to think this through. So, what do you say, Darcey? Care to spend the rest of your life with a raven like me?" he asked.

          Diaval took hold of the amethyst and help it up, presenting it to me like a ring. I had to blink back the tears I felt beginning to water up in my eyes, touched by his proposal. Diaval looked at me with both nervousness and extreme love in his eyes. My mouth opened and closed a few times as I tried to figure out what to say.

          "Diaval, I…"

          I didn't get to finish as Maleficent ran up to us in a panic.

          "Darcey, Diaval, thank god I found you," she said breathlessly.

          "Mal, what's wrong?" I asked worried.

          "It's Aurora. She found out about the curse and then ran off. She's probably halfway to the castle by now," Maleficent explained.

          "Her birthday, it's only a few hours away," I remembered.

          "But the castle destroyed all the spinning wheels," Diaval reminded is.

          "It doesn't matter. In all the stories the king destroys all the spinning wheels but one still manages to come back and complete the curse. That part has always been the same. Our conversation will have to wait yet again, Diaval. Right now we have to find Philip, he's Aurora's only chance," I informed them.

          Maleficent wasted no time transforming Diaval back into his raven form, causing him to drop the amethyst to the ground. "Find the boy!" she ordered him.

          Diaval flew odd in a hurry to find Philip. Reaching down I picked up the amethyst and pocketed it. I would answer him later. Right now the focus was on saving Aurora. That all of us could agree on.

* * *

          Philip was still on his way towards the castle when Diaval spotted him and his white horse, though it appeared that Philip stalled and was looking for someone. Maleficent quickly transported me with her to his location. Philip turned to us, surprised by our appearance.

          "Hello," he greeted. "I'm looked for a girl."

          "Of course you are," Maleficent muttered sarcastically before blowing some of her magic in his face, causing Philip to fall into a temporary slumber.

          I swiftly mounted Philip's horse, positioning myself behind the sleeping prince so that I would be able to take control of the horse's reins while keeping Philip from falling off. There was no way Maleficent or I had enough energy to transport the four of us to the castle. Besides we would require that energy in case a fight broke out.

          "I need a horse," Maleficent said and then looked over at Diaval who was perching on her staff.

          A quick flick of her wrist and in an instant Diaval was transformed from a raven into a magnificent black horse with feathers sprouting from his mane. Maleficent got on, grabbing hold of Diaval's mane more for stability than to steer. After all, he was the one who knew the path to and from the castle better than any of us thanks to years spying for Maleficent.

          "Alright, let's go!" I said before we rose off, determined to save our beloved Aurora.


	17. Waking Sleeping Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          We made our way to the caste, Diaval running as fast as he could while I urged Philip's horse to keep up with him. Our worry increased as the sky was filled with the oranges and magentas of the setting sun. Reaching the bridge crossing over towards the castle we were halfway across when Maleficent caused Diaval to pause. Stopping to meet her it just took one look between the two of us for me to know that we were too late, Aurora had pricked her finger.

          Still, we pressed on, not wanting to give up on the sweet girl who was such a big part of our lives. When we got close enough to the castle Maleficent transformed Diaval into his human form and used her magic to cause the still sleeping Philip to float into the air, making it easier for us to move him. I went and tied Philip's horse close by before we continued.

          "They pulled the guards. He's waiting for you in there," Diaval observed, addressing Maleficent. "If we go inside those walls, we'll never come out alive."

          "Then don't come. This is my fight, not yours," Maleficent replied.

          "Like hell, we won't come," I protested. "We're your friends, Mal. Sure inside those walls, there might be an army waiting to ambush us, but in there is also the little girl who we love dearly. Now, I'm going in there and nothing is going to stop me."

          Maleficent smiled. "Spoken like a true Legendary… and friend."

          We continued, entering the castle. Our steps were cautious, looking around for any guards which might jump out at us but we were relieved to see that none were around. Though it didn't bode well for the future it was a small victory for us. What caused us to pause however was the massive structure of thorns, made entirely out of iron, blocking our path through the hall. Maleficent looked apprehensive about that thorns, iron being a fairy's weakness. Seeing this in her eyes I summoned up my magic and led the way, using my magic to move the thorns out of our way. Another small victory.

          Once we reached the hallway outside of Aurora's room we paused, hearing the voices of the three fairies inside. We needed to get into the room undetected, otherwise, those three would run and tell King Stefan if they noticed us. Thinking of a way to get us inside Maleficent moved Philip right in front of Aurora's door before waking him up from her enchantment, causing him to fall to the ground which alerted the three fairies. They hurriedly flew out to see what was going on while we hung back in the shadows.

          "Pardon me," Philip said to them, a light blush on his face. "I'm embarrassed to say I don't know where I am."

          "In King Stefan's castle," Thistlewit answered, twirling a bit of her hair.

          "This is where I'm meant to be. Odd that I can't recall how I got here," Philip said to himself.

          "Why have you come?" Knotgrass asked.

          "My father sent me to see the King," Philip answered.

          "Who is your father?" Knotgrass continued to question.

          "King John of Ulstead," Philip replied.

          "A Prince!" the three fairies squealed in delight before dragging Philip inside Aurora's room. With the three of them distracted Maleficent, Diaval, and I sneaked into the room and hid behind a changing screen, needing to see what would happen.

          "Aurora," Philip gasped, recognized the sleeping girl. "Why is she sleeping."

          "She's trapping in an enchantment," Knotgrass explained.

          "Isn't she beautiful?" Flittle asked, beginning to manipulate Philip into doing what everyone wanted him to do.

          "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he replied sincerely.

          "Do you want to kiss her?" Thistlewit asked.

          "Very much," Philip answered.

          "Go on then," Knotgrass urged.

          "I wouldn't feel right about it. I barely know her. We've only met once," Philip backed up. He was a good boy, knowing that kissing a sleeping girl was wrong, especially when he didn't really know her that well, but the situation Aurora was in called for a kiss.

          "Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight? Kiss her!" Flittle urged once again, annoyance in her voice.

          It was clear that Philip was still unsure about the kiss but leaned in any way, having been encouraged by the fairies. All of us watched as he placed his lips upon Aurora's and continued waiting as he rose. Dread filled our hearts when we saw that Aurora still slept soundly.

          "You didn't do it properly! It's supposed to be true love's kiss!" the fairies yelled at Philip and kicked him out of the room, upset with him that it didn't work. The door closed as they left, going to try and find someone else who might be able to break the curse. We moved out from behind the screen.

          The three of us were silent. He failed, Aurora's only chance and he failed. Tears started welling up in my eyes as I looked at the sleeping girl in front of us. Seeing this Diaval pulled me into him, hugging me close as we began to mourn. Maleficent, however, walked up to Aurora's bed and stood, looking over her.

          "I will not ask your forgiveness because what I have done to you is unforgivable. I was so lost in hatred and revenge. Sweet Aurora, you stole what was left of my heart. And now I have lost you forever. I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live. And not a day shall pass that I don't miss your smile," Maleficent said to the sleeping Aurora before leaning down and kissing her forehead. She went to move away but something happened that made us all pause in shock.

          "Hello, Godmother," Aurora said, smiling at her. Large smiles spread across all our faces and tears welled up in our eyes when we realized that Maleficent's kiss woke Aurora up.

          "No truer love," Diaval muttered and glanced down at me. Emotional, I leaned up and kissed Diaval's cheek before hugging him close to me.

          Giggling came from Aurora's bed, causing us to look over at her. "Are you two finally together?" Aurora asked.

          "Oh, come over here you," I said, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. Aurora hurried from her bed and ran over to Diaval and I. We happy engulfed her in our arms and I muttered into her hair. "You sweet girl." Glancing up I saw Maleficent looking over at us with a smile. "Care to join?" Accepting my invitation Maleficent walked over and for a joined us. For the longest time, we just stood there, embracing each other, happily reunited.

* * *

          "Are we going back to the Moors now?" Aurora asked as the four of us started walking out of the castle.

          "If that is what you wish," Maleficent replied with a smile, happy to see that Aurora was no longer fearful of her.

          "I did conjure you up a cottage," I told Aurora.

          Just as we were about to exit the strangely empty throne room a metal net came falling down from the ceiling, landing right on Maleficent who had been leading us out. She screamed in pain as the iron burned her skin. The three of us were quick to rush over and try and get the netting off but were pulling away by guards who came running into the throne room. Fighting my way out of the guard's grasp I used my magic to send him into a wall before turning to Aurora.

          "Get out of here! Run!" I shouted at her. There was no way that Aurora would be able to fight against these men. She nodded and ran off somewhere in the castle.

          As I turned back to the scene before me I gasped as another guard got close to attacking me. What stopped him, however, was Diaval ramming into the guard's side, sending him flying away from me. We didn't get much time to chat about that as we looked over to see Maleficent trapped not only by the metal net but also by being circled by Stefan's guards. Diaval and I continued trying to fight our way towards Maleficent, me using my magic while Diaval was only left with his fists. Two different types of worry filled my body, one for Mal whose skin was still burning from the metal net, and another worry for Diaval since in his human form he wasn't as strong as a fighter compared to the other creatures Maleficent had turned him into. I didn't know how long he would last against tens of men in armor and weapons.

          That worry left me as I saw some magic shoot out from under the metal net and hit Diaval, transforming him into a huge black dragon. The guards backed away from him, scared by the dragon that was now in front of them. What sent them running, even more, was when Diaval began to breathe fire, aiming it directly at Stefan's guards. With them backed away a good distance he grabbed the metal netting in his mouth and tossed it off Maleficent. Tossing a guard aside with my magic I ran over to my friend, helping her up. She clung to my side, exhausted from what the metal net did to her.

          Fire spread everywhere as Diaval continued to try and fight the guards off. He was stopped however as the guards brought out chains, flinging them over him and closing his snout. I gathered my magic to help him but Maleficent and I were faced with other problems. Guards circled around us, holding up large shields made from iron. I could feel Maleficent struggling as the iron continued to affect her. Weighted down by the fairy who was close to drifting in and out of consciousness I could only watch as the guards managed to tie Diaval down, leaving me as Mal's protector.

          The guards opened up their wall of shields, allowing for a fully armored King Stefan to enter into the circle. He glared at Maleficent with anger and madness in his eyes but was surprised to find me there holding her up. This only added fuel to his anger as he wiped his chain at me. Bracing for the impact I held my ground and caught the chain in my hand, yanking it from the crazed king.

          "How?" he demanded. "How is it you're not affected by iron?"

          "Because I'm not a fairy… I'm a legend," I stated. "And I'm not going to let you hurt her anymore." I started to build up my magic to use against Stefan and his men.

          "You chose to help this demon!?" Stefan shouted at me angry.

          "I chose to help my friend," I said, standing my ground. After that, I released my magic. It extended out from a circle from my body, sending the guards flying back, their shields being tossed here and there. Stefan was thrown back as well but his anger filled determination allowed him to stand back up.

          "Then I'll kill you as well," Stefan growled and began to charge at me with his sword.

          "Mal, run," I told her and readied my magic to defend myself.

          "Darcey, no," she protested.

          As Stefan got closer I pushed Maleficent behind me and created a shield of magical energy to block his attack. As the sword met my shield both Stefan and myself were thrown back by a surprise force. I heard Diaval whine as I rolled. Groaning I looked up, searching for Maleficent and gasped to see her floating above where we were, a large, full, pair of wings attached to her back. Stefan shouted at her, enraged to see that Maleficent had gotten her wings back.

          "Kill her!" he ordered.

          The guards turned all their attention to Maleficent, throwing spears and arrows to try and pierce her. She flew tall, avoiding everything they threw at her. With her wings back Maleficent's confidence in fighting back returned. She flew around the room, avoiding the attacks while breaking the chains holding Diaval down. I rushed over to him as he got up, standing right under him, as the two of us began once again to fight off the guards. We were holding our ground pretty well when I heard Maleficent let out a cry of pain. Stefan managed to grab hold of the chain and had it wrapped around Maleficent's leg. But that didn't stop her. Instead, Maleficent began to drag Stefan across the throne room floor and crashed the two of them out a window.

          Everything stilled in the throne room. Nobody knew what to do with both heads of the fight gone. The guards backed away, worried about their king. Diaval and I waited with baited breath. With her wings back Maleficent should be fine. She would have been able to survive going through a window. But would Stefan have managed to be able to hang on? Would they both come crashing back into the throne room? Diaval wrapped his body around me, still ever protective as we waited. It wasn't until five minutes later that something happened. The flapping of massive wings brought a smile to mine and Diaval's faces as Maleficent returned alone, having defeated Stefan. The guards ran in fear, not wanting to end up like their king while we raced towards our friend, engulfing her in a hug, relieved that she was okay. Even Aurora raced down from where she was to join us in the hug. Maleficent even transformed Diaval back into his human form for a proper hug.

          "You're free Mal," I said to her. "You're free from him."

          "What happened?" Diaval asked.

          Maleficent's face fell when she looked over at Aurora. "He attacked me, causing us to fall off one of the castle towers. I managed to get him off me but Stefan fell to his death," she explained. "I'm sorry, Aurora."

          "It's… it's alright. I never really knew my father and after seeing what he did here I… I'm happy he can't hurt anyone else," Aurora admitted.

          The three of us hugged Aurora tight. Sure, she didn't know Stefan and he couldn't hurt anyone anymore but he was still Aurora's father and it must have hurt hearing that he was dead.

          "Come on, let's go home," I smiled.

          As we were exiting the castle, however, I felt distress coming from Vala. I looked over at the window that Maleficent smashed through to see my dragon hovering frantically in the window.

          "Darcey!" she shouted.

          "Vala, what's wrong?" I asked worried.

          "I came as soon as I could when I felt you were in danger but when I was flying over I saw that a large group of men had made their way to the Moors and managed to break through the wall," Vala explained.

          "The fae!" I exclaimed and ran over to the window. Building up momentum I jumped out and onto Vala's back. "Let's go!" Without explaining anything to the others Vala and I flew off towards the Moors.

* * *

          The wall of thorns, the plants, so many things were set aflame as we approached the Moors. As we got closer I could hear the screams of creatures as guards chased them, some trying to catch the fae and trap them in cages while other took on the tree warriors who were trying their hardest to defend their home. Rage filled me as I saw the destruction that Stefan's men brought to the Moors. He must have ordered them to attack when he realized that Maleficent wouldn't be there to protect the Moors. I urged Vala faster as I began to build up my magical energy. What I was planning wouldn't do much but it would help. With a ball of magic in my hand, I aimed it up at the sky, shooting the clouds with it. Vala let out a roar as the clouds rumbled and rain fell, taking care of all the fire the guards had spread. The guards looked up in fear, seeing Vala, allowing for a couple of the creatures to escape. They tried to hold their ground though as Vala landed.

          We began our battle. Vala swung her tail and slashed her claws at the approaching guards while I once again gathered my magic but this time instead of using my magic more so as a defensive, such as tossing them away like I've done in the past, I began using it more for offensive attacks. My magic turned into missile like attacks as they tried to blast the guards away along with using it to slash at the guards' armor. Several times I used my magic to create a shield as I did with Stefan but held my ground when a sword or spear would meet it, standing my ground and sending the guard attacking back a good amount for me to send an attack back.

          The tree warriors - having regained their strength after fires were put out - joined me in battle, fighting by mine and Vala's side. They rode their steeds and threw their spears. The forest dragon even rose up from the wet ground to come to its home's defense. Two of the tree warriors stood by my side, fighting off any guards that tried to get close enough to try and stab me. Seeing us defending our home several of the fae creatures came back, rallying against the guards. Even those who were small came back and while they couldn't do much they tried their best fighting against the guards, throwing rocks and mud at them. Fear settling in as guard after guard was defeated the small army began to flee. As the men ran away I hopped onto Vala and the both of us flew to the entrance of the Moors where the wall of vines had been burned down and watched as the men ran away.

          "Know this! I am Darcey Sutton, the third ever Legendary, protector of fae and magical creatures. And this place is protected! If you ever try to hurt this place and its residents again my dragon and I will not be afraid to end you!" I shouted after them. The creatures of the Moors came up behind me and cheered, tossing some things at the guards as they ran as a warning not to come back. Vala let out a roar in celebration, causing me to smile. We won. I saved the Moors.

          As the last of the small army disappeared towards the town the rain from my magic ended and a soft rainbow of hope spread across the Moors. Everyone was surprised however when a large black dragon came flying from the castle with Aurora on its back and Maleficent flying next to it. As soon as the dragon landed Aurora slid off him and Maleficent transformed Diaval back into his human form.

          "Darcey!" he called out to me.

          Sliding off Vala I ran to him, meeting him halfway. He engulfed me in his arms and held me close. I happily returned his embraced. After a minute I felt another set of arms wrap around us and looked to see that Aurora had joined the hug. Maleficent smiled at us from her spot in the air.

          "Hey, bird!" Vala shouted, causing us to break away from the hug. "I am her dragon, so don't you think about trying to take that away."

          Diaval let out a sigh of relief and a small chuckle. "Don't worry, Vala. I'm fine being her something else," he said and then looked at me, hoping to find out what that something would be. I smiled a flirty smile.

          "Well… typically in fairy tales, it ends with the beautiful maiden receiving a kiss from her prince charming. Care to be mine?" I asked.

          A large smile spread across Diaval's face. He pulled me close before leaning in and our lips met in a passionate kiss. Aurora cheered, happy that we were finally together, while Maleficent let out a soft chuckle happy to see that her friends were happy.

          "I hope I did that right," Diaval admitted after the kiss ended. I couldn't help but giggle as the others also laughed.

          "Don't worry, we have plenty of time to work on it," I smiled before moving in and kissing him again.


	18. You Have Your Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          Aurora and I walked with our arms linked towards the center of the Moors. It had been a long week since her father's death filled with meetings and a formal coronation making Aurora queen. The meetings mainly consisted of Maleficent and I meeting with Aurora and the royal court to declare that the Moors was under the kingdom's protection from now on and that anyone who chose to try and attack would be punished. With all of those done Aurora and I finally got a break which allowed the newly crowned queen to return to the Moors for Maleficent to introduce her to as the country's new queen and to assure them that their home is safe. Right now, I was leading her there after finding her relaxing for a moment under a cherry blossom tree.

          "Do you think I'll make a good queen?" she asked me.

          "I think you'll make a great queen," I answered, smiling at her. "Just remember to be confident in your decisions but listen to advice, be stern and yet kind. Find the middle ground in ruling and I think you'll be a wonderful queen." Aurora smiled back at me, a light blush on her face from my confidence in her.

          "So, have you given Diaval an answer yet?" Aurora asked.

          "Ah, no. I've been a bit busy with meetings," I chuckled and nudged Aurora. "Besides Maleficent's had him flying through the Moors making sure that everything alright while we've been away."

          "You are going to answer him though, right?" Aurora continued to press.

          I sighed and reached into my pocket, fiddling with the amethyst stone that Diaval proposed to me with. "Of course, I would just like a few minutes alone with him to do so. I'm sure you'll understand once a boy proposes to you. And speaking of a boy… have you and Philip snuck any more kisses?"

          "Maybe," Aurora answered a bit embarrassed, blush spreading across her face.

          "Hmm… maybe there'll be a new king in the future," I teased.

          "Darcey," Aurora whined, even though the smile stayed on her face as her blush deepened.

          "Alright, I'll stop. Don't want to embarrass you in front of everyone," I laughed before we entered the center of the Moors.

          We looked around and waved at the residents of the Moors. Everyone was excited to see us, seeing as Aurora had befriended many of the residents and I saved the Moors from Stefan's invasion. Looking around I smiled seeing that Vala was there along with Drago, Typhon, and Nym. They jumped up and down with excitement when they spotted their aunt. Laughing I blew them a kiss as I led Aurora up towards the front where Maleficent and Diaval were. When we got up there Maleficent took Aurora from me before I fell into place next to Diaval. Taking my hand in his he lifted it up to his lips, kissing it. I smiled at him, a bit of blush rising to my cheeks.

          "We have gathered you all here to tell you news of great importance. The first is that Aurora has taken over the crown from Stefan," Maleficent informed the crowd. There was applause, hearing that their friend had replaced the harsh king. "The second is that Queen Aurora, Darcey, and I have come to an agreement with Aurora's kingdom that the Moors is now an ally that is to be protected. There will be no more war." This time the crowd burst into cheering and voluminous applause. Once they quieted down a bit Maleficent continued. "However, those are not the only reasons that I have called you all together."

          I looked at Maleficent confused, not knowing where she was going. "I have decided to step down as the ruler of the Moors. After years of watching Aurora from the shadows, I wish to spend time with my goddaughter. So, I shall be moving into the castle. Which means that I must crown a new Queen," Maleficent explained.

          Conjuring up a simple golden circlet Maleficent turned to me and offered out her hand. My eyes widened as she pulled me over to her, realizing what she meant. "Darcey, you have been a great friend to me over the years and have done amazing things to protect our home. I could think of no other person who could take my place," she said to me. "Do you accept this title?"

          "I…" I stuttered, choked up a bit. "I do." A large smile spread across Maleficent's face as she placed the crown on my head. Having been crowned she then presented me to the crowd.

          "I give you your Queen," she announced. The crowd burst into applause and cheering once again. Overcome with emotions I pounced on Maleficent, enveloping her in a hug. It took her a second but I felt her hugging me back. Diaval and Aurora soon joined in and we just held each other, content where we ended up. Just as we broke away Vala, Drago, Typhon, and Nym came flying over to me, nuzzling against me causing all of us to laugh. Taking Vala's face in my hands I embraced her, we certainly came a long when since I first got here.

          "My dragon," I said to her lovingly.

          "My Legendary," Vala replied.

* * *

          After my coronation, Diaval and I walked back to our cottage. With Maleficent having gotten her wings back she no longer required Diaval to be her wings so she released him from being her servant. So, I invited him to live with me which he instantly accepted. But right now, we were in no hurry and instead we were just enjoying our time alone.

          "Did you know about that?" I asked him, referring to Maleficent stepping down and crowning me as Queen.

          "I might have," Diaval chuckled.

          "You jerk," I giggled and playfully elbowed Diaval, causing both of us to laugh. "Well, lucky you huh? Now you're dating the Queen of the Moors."

          "I've always been lucky to have you in my life, Darcey. Queen or not," Diaval replied sincerely.

          Hearing this I decided that now was the time to give Diaval my answer. I stopped walking, causing Diaval to pause and look at me a bit confused. "So, I've been doing a lot of thinking." Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the amethyst that Diaval proposed to me with. Diaval's eyes widened, realizing where this conversation was going to go. "In my time, a couple wouldn't get engaged until they've been dating for a couple of years. But… we've had seventeen years together and I really, truly love you, Diaval. So, yes, I'll marry you."

          Using my magic I turned the amethyst stone into a ring with two small diamonds on either side of amethyst. A large smile spread across Diaval's face as he took the ring and slid it onto my ring finger, mirroring my mother's ring on my other hand. When that was done, he pulled me into a passionate kiss in celebration. After we broke away he picked me up and twirled me around, causing me to giggle.

          "I love you so much, Darcey," he said, nuzzling his nose against mine.

          "I love you too, Diaval," I replied.

          "My true love."


	19. Three Kids Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Maleficent belongs to Disney. Enjoy and please leave a review.

          I sat, lounging against Vala who was happily curled up, flipping through my sketchbook, fondly looking back at memories. One of the first sketches was one I did of my coronation, having sketched it from memory. It was followed by wedding sketches of me in my wedding dress, Diaval and I after we were married, and finally one of Aurora and Phillip's wedding day. The latter two I ended up making full paintings of. The painting of my wedding day was hung up in my cottage while the painting I gifted to Aurora and Phillip was hung up in their castle. The following was a sketch of Aurora and I while we were pregnant, funnily enough around the same time. I remember everyone being so excited when both of us announced it. Heirs to our thrones were coming. Diaval was so happy and caring, excited that we would have hatchings of our own. Aurora gave birth first to her son, Edward, while I followed her a month later with the twins.

          The next three pages were the twin's baby sketches. The first one was of the both of them together, my son Flint and my daughter Briar Rose born. It was long, grueling labor that ended with Flint being born December 31 and Briar Rose following after him into the New Year. Both had dark hair like their father but bright blue eyes that were famous in my family. Diaval and I decided to stick with nature inspired names for the children, though Aurora and Maleficent were excited to have learned that Briar Rose was named after Aurora. The next couple pages were filled with sketches of them growing up, playing with Edward and bonding with Drago and Typhoon. Vala and I were extremely happy that our children developed such a strong bond. We almost burst into tears hearing them refer to each other as 'My Dragon' and 'My Human'. Flipping the page I came upon the baby picture of my youngest, Rowena.

          "Mom!"

          Speaking of whom. I looked up to find Rowena flying down on Vala's daughter Nym. Once they landed Rowena hurriedly hopped down of Nym and ran over to me. "What is it, honey?" I asked.

          "Is it true? Did you and dad give Edward the okay about proposing to Briar?" she asked.

          I smiled, letting out a soft laugh. As our children grew up together Aurora and I began to notice how close the twins and Edward were. It was lovely that the three had close companions but as they grew older it was clear that Edward and Briar's relationship was different than Edward and Flint's. When the two of us caught Edward and Briar exchange a kiss the two of us smiled. After years of Edward trying to court Briar, Diaval and I met with Philip, Aurora, and Maleficent to discuss how a marriage between our children would be super beneficial between our two kingdoms. Of course, it wasn't all political, the five of us were excited since we loved each other's kids and thought it was wonderful that a marriage between them would officially make us family.

          "Your father is telling him right now," I told her.

          "Oh, my god, we're gonna be royalty," Rowena gushed.

          "Honey, we're already royalty," I laughed.

          "But now we're gonna be double royalty," she replied excited before turning back to Nym. "Come on, Nym, let's go fly over all our future kingdom!" Vala and I just laughed as we watched the two of them fly off.

          "What are you two laughing at?" Diaval asked as he walked up to us.

          "Double royalty," I said. Diaval chuckled and sat down next to me. "So how did it go?"

          "Well, expect them to be engaged at the end of the day. As soon as I gave Edward our blessing him and Flint went off to set up the perfect proposal," Diaval explained.

          "So, Flint is taking it well?" I asked.

          "I believe his words were: 'Yes! You're finally gonna be my brother, even if it is through marriage!' And I quote," Diaval answered, causing me to laugh. Noticing my sketchbook in my lap he took it from me. "I see you've been going back down memory lane."

          "It's a nice trip," I commented.

          "Yes, it is," Diaval agreed. "I'm very lucky that I was able to make this journey with you by my side as my wife."

          "Always the loving husband," I smiled.

          "It's easy when it's true love," Diaval replied, pulling me into his lap.

          "That it is," I said.

          I leaned in for a kiss which he happily met halfway. After all these years our love just continued to grow as well as our family. And I couldn't ask for anything better.

 


End file.
